Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

No war can be won without the help of the people on the ground...

Conspiracy case against Fonseka: Court rejects meeting plea
2010-08-02 10:21:47

A court in Colombo today rejected a request for detained General Sarath Fonseka to meet his co-ordinating secretary Senaka de Silva to build up their defence in the anti-government conspiracy case against them.

The order was made by Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli.

Defence dounsel Thirantha Walaliyadda PC said it was unfair to deny the opportunity to General Fonseka and Mr De Silva, the first and second accused in the case, to build up their defence.

The judge last week directed General Fonseka and Senaka de Silva to appear in court today.

The former army chief is charged with conspiring against the state with the support of some military officers in this case.

Colombo district opposition parliamentarian Fonseka unsuccessfully contested the Presidential election early this year.

Rajapaksa courting MPs
On the Government front, President Rajapaksa, who chaired the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday agreed with his ministers that students who excel in sports and miss their examinations would have to be given another chance. They discussed the case of a schoolboy cricketer who had faced a similar situation. That basically summed up the significant matters discussed this week at cabinet.
Rajapaksa flew to Kandy on Thursday to be on hand for discussions on the Esala Perahera. He also chaired a series of conferences where development programmes in the district were discussed. Rajapaksa is not only taking a keen interest in development activities in the various districts. He appears to have launched a major public relations drive to get to know closely his parliamentarians and even ministers.
All UPFA MPs including Ministers will assemble at the Eden Hotel in Beruwala next Saturday (August 7) for a workshop on parliamentary matters. Rajapaksa is keeping the day free to mingle with his MPs, talk to them and get to know them even more personally. He would be ever mindful of what happened to one of his predecessors who lost touch with his MPs once assuming the mantle of President, and nearly paid dearly for it.

How things will work out amongst their warring leaders between now and the proposed annual convention will be a clear indicator of where the party is headed.

The government has decided to permanently stop the services of 540 forces personnel who have allegedly supported General Sarath Fonseka during the last Presidential election. Among them are Army, Navy, Air Force and Police personnel. The services of a large number of officers among them have already been terminated.

The Sri Lanka Army's Eastern Commanding Officer who was responsible for the capturing of Thoppigala and other areas last year, Major General Parakrama Pannipitiya has charged that his security has been seriously compromised by Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka.

Filing a fundamental rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court last Friday (22) Maj. Gen. Pannipitiya has said that his life is in danger following the withdrawal of his security and has prayed for the re-instatement of his security contingent.

Guy Platton, Charge d affaires of the Delegation of the European Union says theEU though the EU always wanted to end the fighting to pave the way for a negotiated settlement to avoid massive loss of life in contravention of the Geneva Conventions.

Platton was responding to a query by The Island, in the wake of recent revelation of excesses by foreign forces including US, British and Polish troops.

The Island: 'Now that classified documents relating to alleged war crimes committed by foreign forces deployed in Afghanistan have been released, we would like to obtain an official comment from the EU mission in Colombo regarding the controversy. The Sri Lankan media has every right to request an explanation due to repeated EU calls for a war crimes inquiry targeting Sri Lanka. We would also like to know your position on a recent statement by Deputy British PM Nick Clegg that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was illegal. The EU countries have committed powerful forces to Afghanistan and Iraq. What would you say to this?

Guy Platton, Charge d affaires of the Delegation of the European Union says...

It has been revealed that a friend of the Rajapaksa family is to be appointed as the head of the government Auditor General s Department. It has always been a tradition to appoint a senior official at the department who has been appointed as the chief auditor. However, this time around, the tradition is to be broken by appointing an individual who has not served in the Auditor General s Department.

The incumbent Auditor General is to retire in August and he too was appointed to the post from outside the Department. However, it is learnt that there are two officers who are eligible to be appointed as the head of the Department.

Department employees have expressed doubts over the plan to appoint one a Rajapaksa loyalist as the chief Auditor General, which is considered an independent position. The employees say that it could be to cover up the various cases of fraud and corruption received by the Department annually.