`Vol. 29 No. 100 Thursday 11th March, 2010, 36 Pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper – Late City Edition
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Graham Greene,the West andhuman factors
Babies andchildrenin hospital
How journaliststhink
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Street signs warn-ing Romanian driversto be careful ofdrunken pedestrianslying on roads wereerected by road safe-ty chiefs worriedabout the “despairing” levels
Officials in Pecica, a village town about 13miles from the Hungarian border in the coun-try’s west, ordered the bright red signs, com-plete with the phrase “Attention - Drunks”.
(See World View -P 6)
Street sign warns drivers of‘drunk pedestrians’
A high ranking policeofficer attached to theTerrorist InvestigationsDepartment (TID) toldThe Island, yesterday thatthose Customs men hadsecured the support ofsome lower rankers in thedepartment and the policebelieve that they sharedthe spoils at the expense
of national security.Investigations have revealed that the
two suspects had access to LTTE leaderPrabhakaran through Pottu Amman andsome of the deals had been struck direct-ly between the LTTE chief and some cus-toms men. “We are going deep into thematter and hope to arrest more suspectswho were in the LTTE’s pay,” the TID offi-cer said.
‘Customs duo took money fromPrabhakaran to clear lethal cargo’
by Dasun Edirisinghe
The electoral systemwould definitely bereformed after the forth-coming general election,SLFP General Secretary,Minister Maithripala
Sirisena told the media inColombo yesterday.
The UPFA, the Ministersaid, also expected to givemore powers to theIndependent Commissionswhich would be established
SLFP General Secretary and Agricultural MinisterMaithripala Sirisena yesterday addresses the press inColombo. He was accompanied by Southern ProvinceChief Minister Shan Wijelal de Silva. (Photo-Kamal Bogoda)
Pottu Amman
China has agreed to lend $290 mil-lion to Sri Lanka for a new airport andto revive the country’s railway network,the foreign ministry said.
See Financial Review
China to lend $ 290 mn.
by Devan Daniel
The Insurance Regulatorsays insurance premiums havefallen slightly after the war asthe risk factor associated withterrorism is no longer present.
The Insurance Board of SriLanka (IBSL) earlier this weeksaid Sri Lanka’s insurancecompanies had to pay high pre-miums to foreign re-insurersbecause of the threat of terror-ism. Reinsurance is whereinsurance companies take outinsurance with internationallyreputed re-insurers to coverrisks of suddenly having topay large claims. Since the warended, these premiums havecome down.
“Reinsurance premiumrates have come down slightlyafter the war ended last May,”confirmed Manjula De Silva,President InsuranceAssociation of Sri Lanka,speaking to journalists earlierthis week.
Reinsurancepremiums fallafter warTerrorism policy premium down 75%
by Lal Gunasekera
Consumer Affairs Authority officershave been ordered to prosecute witheffect from yesterday traders who sell riceat prices higher than those stipulated bythe government.
The Minister of Trade, Commerce,Consumer Affairs and Marketing
Development, Bandula Gunawardene, toldThe Island that he had instructed the offi-cials of the CAA to conduct raids andtake into custody any trader violating theregulations by selling rice at higherprices.
“Some retail traders continue to sellrice at higher prices, while some sell it atlower prices; we will be very strict with
the unscrupulous traders,” the Ministersaid.
There are officers from the CAA atevery District Secretariat and they havebeen given the authority to take strictaction against errant traders.
The rice prices have come down in thewholesale market. Samba sells at Rs. 63
by Rex Clementine
After three days at St. Anthony’sChurch in Kochchikade, the HolyRelic of St. Anthony, which arrived inColombo on Sunday, was taken to St.Mary’s Cathedral in Galle amidstmassive crowds along the Galle Road.
“Naturally we expected a massivenumber of devotes to see the SacredRelic, but in the end we had more peo-ple coming to the Church than expect-ed. We had to open the Church at 4.00a.m. and go on until 4.00 a.m. the nextday because the crowd was not simply
abating,” Rev. Fr. Clement Rozairo, theAdministrator of St. Anthony’sShrine, Kochchikade told The Island.
“Although the queue was gettinglonger each day, people were very dis-ciplined.
Meanwhile, during yesterday’s pro-cession to Galle, the Holy Relicstopped at St. Anthony’s Church,Kadalana in Moratuwa and Kalamullain Kalutara as His Grace ArchbishopMalcolm Ranjith handed over sectionsof Holy Relics of St. Anthony to bekept in the two churches dedicated tothe Saint.
First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa visited the Holy Relic of St. Anthony at St.Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade. The Holy Relic was taken to St. Mary’sCathedral yesterday.
St. Anthony’s Holy Relictaken down South
Colombo High Court Judge DeepaliWijesundera, on March 8, ordered thefreezing of three accounts held in aprivate bank in Kollupitiya.
These accounts belong to Mrs.Asoka Tilakeratne, mother of DanunaTilakaratne, son-in-law of GeneralSarath Fonseka, Nishara Jayewardene,and Ms. Galhenage. The Island learnsthat these persons have told the CIDthat the money, although credited intheir names, did not belong to them.
The money found in the accountsamounted to US$ 600,000, 15 million SLrupees and 100 pounds sterling. Thefunds had not been declared to theCentral Bank of Sri Lanka.
The accounts have been frozenunder the Money Laundering Act,which empowers the Colombo HighCourt to freeze accounts under investi-gation.
The applications to the High Courtwere for freezing funds made by theCentral Bank and the CID, The Islandlearns.
CAA to prosecute errant rice traders
by Franklin R. Satyapalan
SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem hastold Indian Foreign SecretaryNirupama Rao that if there is any-body who could solve the problems ofTamil speaking minorities it isPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa,because he has won the confidenceand trust of the Sinhala majority,Deputy General Secretary of theSLMC Nizam Kariapper says.
No more presidential polls,says Minister Sirisena
Hicorp Deal: HC freezesthree bank accounts
Hakeem tells Raoonly MR can solveTamil problem
Continued on page 7
Continued on page 7
India invites TNA, TMVPleaders to New Delhi
by Norman Palihawadana
Two Customs officers now incustody for their allegedinvolvement with the LTTE
have revealed that they got mil-lions of rupees from the LTTE toclear without checks the outfit’slethal cargo.
by Ifham Nizam
Today, theNational ZoologicalGardens in Dehiwelawill get three ring-tailed lemurs (lemurcatta)-two femalesand one male-fromthe Rare SpeciesBreeding Centre inLondon, through ananimal exchangeprogramme.
Education Officerof the ZooNihalSenerathtold TheIsland
Zoo getsthree newinmates
UNP General Secretary TissaAttanayake has written to the CabinetSecretary asking that JohnstonFernando be disallowed from attendingCabinet meetings in view of his expul-sion from Parliament.
Fernando and Indika Bandaranaike,who crossed over to the UPFA, from theUNP, recently lost their seats inParliament after withdrawing a funda-mental rights petition they filed
Tissa wants Johnston out of Cabinet
Eight Chief Inspectors have beeninterdicted with immediate effect, byPolice Headquarters, for beinginvolved in election malpractices dur-ing the recently concluded presiden-tial polls. Police HQ sources said thatthe interdictions were a violation ofelection laws.
Police HQ flouts pollslaws, interdicts 8 CIs
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The SLIM-NIELSEN Peoples’ Awards Best Brand of the year was won by Singer.Singer Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya receives the award at a gala ceremonyheld at Waters Edge Yesterday. Pic by Dimuthu Premaratne
SLIM-NIELSEN Peoples’ Awards 2010
