Public officials need to move slightly out of the books of law - senior adviser to the President of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal acquitted two former senior public officials loyal to the present government from a case on misappropriating state funds for a presidential election campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Addressing media after the judgement, Lalith Weerathunga, the present senior adviser to the President, said to media that the public officials need to move slightly out of the books of law to serve people.  

"I think the judgement relieved the public service from unfair bonds. I urge my public servant colleagues not to fear to do the right thing. Many public officials were discouraged by this judgement. I think that time is over. Do the right thing. No problem will occur. I think public officials need to move slightly out of the books of law. I don't see any error there if the decisions are not self-benefitting and benefiting only the people," Weerathunga said. 

He thanked his wife, children, close relatives and senior counsel Kanchana Ratwatte for their support.

Former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Director-General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC), Anusha Palpita were acquitted from the case related to misappropriating Rs.600 million funds of the TRC for distributing white clothes for the Buddhist laymen to wear on religious observances. According to the charges, the misappropriation took place during the presidential campaign in 2015 for the advantage of Mahinda Rajapaksa's campaign. 

Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga found them guilty of misappropriation of public funds and sentenced them to three years rigorous imprisonment on 7 September 2017.  Colombo High Court also imposed a fine of Rs.2 million on each of the convicts. They were further ordered to pay Rs.50 million to the TRC as compensation. 

Appellate Court panel of judges comprising justices Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Devika Aberathna delivered the judgement and said that the evidence and document analysis had not proved a misappropriation beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Sri Lanka police after dozens of persons who posted fake news on COVID-19 deaths

Sri Lanka Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said to media that the police had already remanded two persons and looking for another 29 to arrest for saying in social media that people fell on the roads and died due to COVID-19. 

He said that two persons had been arrested and remanded from Kadugannawa and Hanthana. Twenty-seven more are identified locally and are to be arrested. 

The other two persons live in Australia and Japan. The Police Media Spokesman did not say what action would be taken to arrest these two persons.

Police pointed out previously that only one COVID-19 positive person had died on a road and the person was a beggar. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka police is affected by the creation of a COVID-19 cluster. Over 800 police personnel including around 200 Police Special Task Force officials are COVID-19 positive by now. 

Sri Lanka government approves Rapid Antigen Test

Sri Lanka Health sector started the use of Rapid Antigen Test since today (November 18). The Ministry of Health gave permission to use the test, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, the Director of the Epidemiology Unit said. 

The test is available in several selected hospitals. 

The report of the Rapid Antigen Test can be obtained within 30 minutes. 

COVID-19 immune cells fend off the virus and prevent illness - study

Eight months after infection, most people who have recovered still have enough immune cells to fend off the COVID-19 virus and prevent illness, reported New York Times, quoting recent research.

“That amount of memory would likely prevent the vast majority of people from getting hospitalized disease, severe disease, for many years,” said Shane Crotty, a virologist at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology who co-led the new study.

And the research squares with another recent finding: that survivors of SARS, caused by another coronavirus, still carry certain important immune cells 17 years after recovering.

Another study published last week also found that people who have recovered from Covid-19 have powerful and protective killer immune cells even when antibodies are not detectable. 

(Read the full report>>)

Sri Lanka intensifies surveillance via drones; Many arrested

Sri Lanka Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said a special operation would be conducted by the intelligence units to nab the violators of quarantine regulations. 

He said that stern action would be taken against such culprits. 

He pointed out that the use of drone cameras for surveillance was successful. Ninety-five persons had been taken into custody for violating travel restrictions, he said. The drone operations have taken place in the Kotahena, Ja-Ela, Keselwatta and Wattala areas.

"The beggars who are begging at colour lights will also be taken into custody," the police media spokesman said.

Sri Lanka police arrested around 300 persons since October 30th for violating quarantine regulations. 

Prisoner in quarantine dies in escape attempt at Kandy Bogambara prison

One prisoner was killed in Bogambara prison in Kandy last night. Five prisoners tried to escape and another prisoner was injured while one escaped, Prisons Commissioner-General Thushara Upuldeniya said. Prison officers have arrested two escapees, he said.

The deceased is identified as 30-year-old Abdul Raheem of Anuradhapura. He had succumbed to the injuries sustained due to the fall from the top of the prison wall, the Prisons Commissioner-General said. The other prisoner also sustained injuries due to fall, the official said. 

However, our studies on Sri Lanka's prisons indicate the prevalence of torture and brutality especially against the prisoners who attempt to escape. The incidents of prisoner deaths must be fairly investigated.

Update: The escaped prisoner was later arrested

Bogambara prison has been converted to a quarantine centre for the prisoners and over 400 prisoners undergo quarantine there. 

Over 500 prisoners in Sri Lanka are COVID-19 positive now. 

Bogambara prison and the land of five acres belonged to it in the heart of Kandy city was emptied from prisoners and the venue was transformed into a cultural and tourism centre named “Bogambara Cultural Park” by the previous government in 2019. 

According to Attractions in Sri Lanka website, "The Bogambara Prison was the second largest prison in Sri Lanka, the first being the Welikada Prison in Colombo. It was built by the British Ceylon Government in the year 1876. The prison complex has gallows and was one of the two prisons in Sri Lanka where the death penalty was implemented. The prison was closed down in 2014 and the building is open for public viewing as a historic monument. It is one of the oldest existing buildings in Kandy and located in Bogambara."

Budget 2021: Less money for health; more for roads. Fraudsters invited to pump hidden money

Opinion by Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe, Editor

In 2021 budget proposals, the Sri Lanka government invited the fraudulent businessmen to pump their hidden money to boost the ailing economy.  

"For the benefit of the country, I request all entrepreneurs to utilize the funds hidden locally or internationally in order to evade laws relating to taxes and foreign exchange. It is expected to make legal provisions to provide a tax pardon to entrepreneurs thus utilizing funds for any investment facilitated by this budget under the payment of taxes amounting to 1 per cent," Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said in the parliament today presenting the budget proposals in his capacity as the Minister of Finance. 

Early December 2019, after introducing sweeping tax reforms, cabinet spokesman Kaheliya Rambukwella expressed confidence on growth and fiscal management despite the Rs. 550 stimulus impact on the economy. “As promised, we have initiated some actions immediately after the election, which will ease the burdened general public by way of reducing taxation. The Government will lose about Rs. 550 billion worth of revenue annually by the reduction of taxes announced last week. Some are arguing on how the Government is going to compensate for the revenue loss with the tax cuts, and these taxes depend on the size of the economy. Right now our economy is at $80 billion, and if you apply 5% tax, you are still collecting $4 billion, so this simple theory will be practised by our experts in the financial sector,” as reported by Daily FT. 

The 2020 budget speech did not include any review on the policy changes made by the government as soon as they were elected but said that the same tax policy would be implemented. The government incurred massive loss of income and recorded minus growth in 2020. 

The government estimated the state revenue as Rs. 1,961 billion and expenditure as Rs. 3,525 billion.  The budget deficit is Rs. 1,564 billion which is 9% GDP. 

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa proposed obtaining loans under an upper ceiling of Rs. 2,900 billion to balance 2021 budget. 

In 2020, Sri Lanka government has obtained Rs. 2,650 billion loans, even without the approval of the parliament for a part of it. 

The government is under severe criticism because of the allocation of more money for roadbuilding than health amidst the raging crisis of COVID-19. Sri Lanka government allocated Rs.159.57 billion for health, a slight amount more than the allocations in 2020, Rs. 159.48 billion. It is far below the allocations under the previous government for health which was Rs. 187 billion. 

Meanwhile, the government allocated Rs. 330 billion for the Ministry of Highways, nearly double the amount allocated in the 2019 budget, which was Rs. 176 billion. Road building is believed a highly corrupt business in Sri Lanka. Amazingly, road building amounted almost double the allocations for health amidst COVID-19.  

The government encouraged the foreign investors by exempting the tax on dividends of foreign companies for three years if such dividends are reinvested on the expansion of their businesses or in the stock market or in Sri Lanka International sovereign bonds.

"Investments exceeding USD 10 million with potential to change the landscape of the economy, in the areas of export industries, dairy, fabric, tourism, agricultural products, processing and information technology will be provided with concessions up to a maximum of 10 years under the Strategic Development Law," the government said. 

The budget proposals included, "In order to promote the Colombo and Hambanthota ports as commodity trading hubs in international trading, and to encourage investments in bonded warehouses and warehouses related to offshore business I propose to exempt such investments from all taxes." 

The government further encouraged the multinational companies by encouraging the exports of multinational companies which are import-based for requirements of the domestic market. "It is proposed to reduce the tax imposed on their dividends by 25 percent in 2021 and 50 percent in 2023 under the condition that they increase their exports by 30 percent and 50 percent in the respective years," the Prime Minister said.

"To develop the latent industries such as mineral sand, phosphate, fertilizer and graphite as high-value export industries, I propose to reduce the expenditure on research and development expenses of local entrepreneurs involved with the Institute of Nanotechnology from taxes," the Prime Minister stated in the budget speech. 

The government provided a seven-year tax break for local boat and shipbuilding. 

For the benefit of rural women, the government proposed, "to establish a shop in all Grama Niladhari divisions where the network of shops has been adequately expanded targeting 25,000 female entrepreneurs chosen from Samurdhi families. Under this network of shops functioning under government sponsorship and bank credit facilities, priority will be given to selling local products. Related expenditure of the local entrepreneurs who contribute to establishing these shops will be considered as deductible expenditures in the calculation of personal income tax." Thanks and implement at least this for small people.