The third officer of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman who is accused of being involved in the human trafficking syndicate has been interdicted, Minister of Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said.
The officer in question will be placed under arrest upon arrival to Sri Lanka for further period
State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion Jagath Pushpakumara vowed stern legal actions against those who were involved in this racket.
Meanwhile, the main suspect in this human trafficking ring was arrested by the airport police at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake yesterday morning (Nov. 19) while returning to the island.
According to the Criminal Investigation Department’s findings, Sri Lankan women who were taken to Oman on the promise of jobs in Oman and the UAE, had been auctioned off to sultans for bids ranging from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 2.5 million.
Initiating a probe after being informed of the complaints received by Foreign Affairs Ministry on the matter, a three-member team of the CID, led by the director of Human Trafficking, Smuggling Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation Division, had departed to Oman on October 03.
The investigation officers, after recording statements from a total of 45 Sri Lankan women who are sheltered at a safe house belonging to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat, uncovered that they had arrived in Oman on tourist visas. They also found that these women had fled houses they were employed at for various reasons including the harassment.
To make matters worse, an officer of the Sri Lankan Embassy has sexually harassed the women who are sheltered at the safe house. His services have since been suspended.
Further probes into the matter disclosed that this sex trafficking ring had been operated by a group of officers of the Immigration & Emigration Department through the representatives of employment agencies stationed in Sri Lanka and Oman. Their target had been underprivileged local women facing financial difficulties.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat, in a statement, stated that at present, at least 90 Sri Lankan female domestic workers are stranded in Oman seeking repatriation assistance.
They are unable to afford the repatriation-related expenses such as visa, overstay penalty, air ticket, agent fees, and the cost of recruitment demanded by their respective sponsors.
The embassy said it has also sought the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist such victims.
SL embassy officer in Oman interdicted over human trafficking ring.
Police Commission Chief responds after Social Media backlash over welcoming BR at Airport!
Chandra Fernando, the Chairman of the Police Commission of Sri Lanka, broke his silence after Social Media backlash on him being seen at the welcoming party at the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport for the return of Basil Rajapaksa two days (20) ago, in a statement to ‘News1st’ saying that he was already at the Airport during which the former Minister and the National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) arrived.
Fernando, together with another Commission member, N.P.P Perera, was seen welcoming Rajapaksa at the Airport, leading to speculation whether the so called independent Police Commission of Sri Lanka is politically biased. MPs of the Opposition also questioned the Police Commission Chief’s presence among the welcoming party for Basil, heating up the House yesterday (21).
“I was in Katunayake that day. When I was in Katunayake, I learned about his return and went to see him. That’s all. Nothing else. This is being asked by various parties in various forms, get it? As I was there, I heard that there was a group of people. I too went to the scene. No day have I ever shown partiality in my line of duty. I’m not attached to politics,” Fernando told News1st.
The Police Commission Chief went on: “There will be no problem with my title. Because what’s important is how I work in my title. Had Madam Chandrika arrived there, I would’ve seen her too. Because what I was told was that there were people out there shouting. That was why I went there, to see what was happening. There was no such shouting at all, what I was told was a lie. I only went there to see what the whole rush was. Yes, I did go inside, and there was no rush at all. Then I saw Mr. Basil there. He said hello, I came in. We’re public servants, aren’t we? We talk whether it’s Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, Mr. Sajith Premadasa, or Mr. Sarath Fonseka.”
MIAP
Naval and fishing communities urged to be vigilant amidst gradually declining depression
The depression lay centered at latitude 13.00 N and longitude 81.70 E about 410 km north-northeast of Jaffna over southwest adjoining west central Bay of Bengal, is very likely to move west north west ward towards South Andhra Pradesh and North Tamilnadu-Puducherry coasts and gradually it will weaken during next 12 hours, said the Department of Meteorology in a statement today (22).
Showers or thunder showers will occur at a few places in Uva province and in Ampara district during the afternoon or night.
Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere over the country.
Marine Weather:
| The depression lay centered at latitude 13.00 N and longitude 81.70 E about 410 km north-northeast of Jaffna over southwest adjoining west central Bay of Bengal, is very likely to move west north west ward towards South Andhra Pradesh and North Tamilnadu-Puducherry coasts and gradually it will weaken during next 12 hours. Therefore, Naval and fishing communities are requested to be vigilant into the deep and shallow sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Trincomalee via Mullaitivuand Southwest Bay of Bengal sea area for next 24 hours. |
| Condition of Rain: |
| A few showers are likely in sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Matara via Galle. |
| Winds: |
| Winds will be north-westerly or south westerly and speed will be (20-40) kmph. |
| State of Sea: |
| The sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Trincomalee via Mullaitivu and from Colombo to Hambantota via Galle and Matara will be fairly rough at times. |
MIAP
Vote on second reading of critical 2023 Budget today
The vote on the second reading of the 2023 Budget Appropriation Bill is set to be held today (23).
Accordingly, the debate on the second reading the 2023 Budget will continue until 5 pm today, later which the vote will commence.
The vote will be critical for the government to demonstrate its power in Parliament.
MIAP
Energy Minister responds to speculations on lifting ‘QR Code’ system for fuel distribution
There is no decision to remove the fuel management QR system from next month as suggested by certain reports, assured Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara in a tweet yesterday (21).
Accordingly, the Fuel Management QR System will be continued until the fuel requirements can be fulfilled, he added.
MIAP
President assures his support to expand SL’s Scout Movement
President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured to provide the necessary assistance to expand the scouting movement by increasing its membership to 200,000 covering all nine provinces by 2024.
The President also mentioned that he would seek the support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth Affairs for this purpose.
The Sri Lanka Scout Association officially conferred the title of Chief Scout to President Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning (21) at the President’s Office, where he made these comments.
The Scout Commissioner, Attorney-at-Law Janaprith Fernando, commissioned and presented the Scout Scarf and the appointment certificate to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
A report on the progress of the Scout Movement was also presented to the President.
Speaking at this occasion the President further stated that he expects to get the full support of the Scout Movement for the 75th Independence Celebration.
President Wickremesinghe invited the Scout Movement to join the environment-related programmes which are being held with the intervention of the President’s Office and headed by President’s Adviser on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardena.
The commemorative medal for the 60th anniversary of the Homagama District Branch affiliated to the Sri Lanka Scout Association was presented to the President by Girl Scout Potaka Thitulu Kathya. The related commemorative souvenir was also presented to the President.
Deputy Chief Commissioner M.S.S. Muheed, Executive Committee Chairman Ransiri Perera and other officers including Homagama District Scout Commissioner Dr. Anil Perera, New District Commissioner K. A. Chandrapadma, Assistant District Commissioner Suranga Handapangoda and others participated in this event.
PMD
Sri Lanka Original Narrative Summary: 22/11
- SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara MP says the Central Committee of the SLFP has suspended membership of 9 top members, including former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge until the disciplinary action against them is concluded.
- Minister of State for Transport Lasantha Alagiyawanna says a de-merit points system for traffic offences is to be introduced from January 2023: the driver’s license of those who get more than 24 de-merit points to be cancelled for a period to be determined.
- President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake says the Government intends to resume negotiations on FTAs: asserts it’s the vision of President Wickremasinghe to integrate Sri Lanka with the global value chains and the largest economies in South and East Asia.
- Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says the true Economic Hit-men are those who announced that the country is bankrupt even while there were credible, expected inflows of USD 10.7 bn in early April 22: the announcement of “bankruptcy” was made by CB Governor Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary Siriwardene.
- Sri Lanka Scouts Association confers title of “Chief Scout” on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
- SLFP and SJB decide to vote against the 2nd reading of the Budget 2023.
- Census Department says headline inflation, as per the YoY change in the NCPI declines to 70.6% in October from 73.7% in September due to base effect: index value still at elevated levels showing that cost of living has not declined.
- Ministerial Consultative Committee on Water Supply considers proposal for another water tariff hike: also discusses new taxes proposed to be levied on bottled water.
- Chief Sanghanayake of the Ramanna Nikaya Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera says the Maha Sangha and Buddhists in Embilipitiya will not allow the Govt to implement the proposed project to cultivate 10,000 acres of Cannabis in Embilipitiya.
- Posts appear in social media showing pictures of several female teachers who say they have attended their respective schools in attire other than saree: previously, Education Minister Susil Premajayanth had firmly announced that there would be no change in the policy of teachers’ attire.
The fashionable “soft default” that sacrificed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty
When these two Central Bankers were appointed to their Jobs, the economic storm was already on us. They were both in their own way responsible for the crisis. Both had served for decades in the Central Bank. They had both spent considerable time at the Central Bank at the expense of the tax payers developing economic policies. Both these people are the highest paid government executives. They both earn in excess of Rs 1.5 Million a month with their tax paid by the tax payers.
First thing they both jointly did was to default and make Sri Lanka a bankrupt country. They sold Sri Lanka’s 75 years of independence for 64 million USD. All the credit lines virtually disappeared overnight as a result. Getting out of this bankruptcy mindset will take years. This action is perhaps the worst action that could have been taken by a top bureaucrat.
That too without the concurrence of parliament.
How this is possible in a civilized world is a big question? Some say they must be charged for treason for not getting parliament approval. Next they increased interest rates by 200%. Now that interest rates rates have climbed to about 32%, compared to the roughly 8% of a year ago, demand is tumbling because fewer Sri Lankans can afford to buy anything. To see a similar crash in demand you’d have to look back to the financial crisis.
Sri Lanka largely survived that crash. Most analysts say economic forecast for 2023. will be worse than 2022. Under their economic leadership. The Central Bank is on a collision course with a recession, and the Treasury will have a hard time driving the economy toward anything else. What ever the President says we won’t be able to escape the waning investor confidence.
The way the economy has been managed thus far since Nandalal and Siriwardana were appointed by a President who did not even understand demand and supply, shows the lack of understanding of the reality and their capacity to understand the ground situation and treat it with the correct economic tools. By keeping interest rates so high has virtually put thousands of entrepreneurs out of business. CBSL is yet to understand that inflation is driven by a shortage of foreign exchange and energy costs. Take those two out of the inflation equation, inflation will be less than 30%. Even a layman like me can understand this. Not these two? When you have bureaucrats who have not even run a boutique running the economy what can you expect? The bond rates have now reached fever pitch.
The bond traders are now licking their lips waiting for the interest rates to come down to buy their next car and apartment. They will even put to shame the previous scam. Ironically both these people (Nandalal and Siriwardana) were severely reprimanded for their ignorance in the bond scam in 2015. Recently when Siriwardana was asked why the Exporters are taxed at 30% (100% increase), he had replied it is because their associates are paying 30%. Exporters are no fools they will set up in another jurisdiction and park their money elsewhere. How stupid? Nandalal is acting like a rock star and Siriwardana is his make up manager. They are both darlings of some of the Western Ambassadors who keep propping them up, including a few opposition politicians for their survival . There is not much hope for our country with these two at the helm.
Even if the interest rates are brought down in a hurry as an economist pointed out. The economy has now been very badly bruised. Therefore it will take a month of Sundays, perhaps years to heal the deep wounds created by a short sighted policies propagated by inexperienced bureaucrats and half baked politicians.
Adolf
Java earthquake kills 162 and injures hundreds
An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds, regional governor Ridwan Kamil has said.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), according to US Geological Survey data.
Scores of people were taken to hospital, with many treated outside.
Rescuers were working into the night to try to save others thought to still be trapped under collapsed buildings.
The area where the quake struck is densely populated and prone to landslides, with poorly built houses reduced to rubble in many areas.
There are conflicting reports as to the exact numbers of deaths, and it is difficult to get a definitive figure as the search and rescue effort continues.
Earlier, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said at least 62 people had died, according to the latest available data.
More than 13,000 people have been displaced Mr Java said, and the BNPB said over 2,200 homes have been damaged.
Earlier, Mr Kamil, the governor of West Java, said more than 700 people had been injured.
He said the numbers of injuries and fatalities were likely to increase because there were “a lot of people” still trapped at the scene.
Herman Suherman, the head of administration in Cianjur town, said most injuries were bone fractures sustained from people being trapped by debris in buildings.
“The ambulances keep on coming from the villages to the hospital,” he was quoted by AFP news agency as saying earlier in the day. “There are many families in villages that have not been evacuated.”
Many of the injured were treated outside in a hospital car park after the hospital was left without power for several hours following the quake, West Java’s governor said.
The tremor could also be felt in the capital Jakarta about 100km away, where people in high-rise buildings were evacuated.
Office workers rushed out of buildings in the civic and business district during the tremor, which started at 13:21 Western Indonesian time (WIT) on Monday, the agency said.
“I was working when the floor under me was shaking. I could feel the tremor clearly. I tried to do nothing to process what it was, but it became even stronger and lasted for some time,” lawyer Mayadita Waluyo told AFP.
An office worker named Ahmad Ridwan told news agency Reuters: “We are used to this [earthquakes] in Jakarta, but people were so nervous just now, so we also panicked.”
Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the “ring of fire” area of tectonic activity in the Pacific. The country has a history of devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, with more than 2,000 killed in a 2018 Sulawesi quake.
BBC
Speaker says annual reports and performance reports will be distributed as e-copies
The annual reports and performance reports of Parliament will be submitted as e-copies and action will be taken to keep a limited number of hard copies of them as per MPs’ request, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena addressing the House today (21).
The move will be carried out in compliance with the decision taken at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs held on June 02, 2022.
Accordingly, MPs will be provided with soft copies even in the case of the progress reports submitted to Parliament by each Ministry / Institution and Statutory Bodies during the Committee Stage debate period on the 2023 Budget, based on the decisions taken during the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on September 29, the Speaker noted.
He went on saying that measures will also be taken to keep a few hard copies of the aforesaid Reports in the Chamber and the Library for the use of MPs.
MIAP