Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry assumed duties at the Ministry today (25 July, 2022) at a simple ceremony. Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane and the senior officials were present.

Addressing the officials, Minister Ali Sabry stated that he looked forward to delivering on the mandate of the Ministry to steer forward Sri Lanka’s foreign relations, taking the domestic compulsions too into consideration. He commended the outgoing Minister Prof G L Peiris for his leadership provided to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Sabry was appointed a Member of Parliament in 2020. Minister Ali Sabry served as the Minister of Justice since 12 August 2020, until he was appointed the Finance Minister on 4 April, 2022.

As the Minister of Justice he launched many new initiatives including the wide-ranging reforms into the Sri Lankan justice sector with the justice sector reform programme to amend over hundred laws, some of which have not been changed in over a century. Minister Ali Sabry also initiated the digitization drive of the justice sector, the expansion of courthouses across the country and the introduction of specialized courthouses to address the issue of delays.

As the Finance Minister he led the Sri Lankan delegation for the recent negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington D.C.

Prior to his entry into politics Minister Ali Sabry was a practicing lawyer with many of the cases he handled appearing in law reports and publications. He was appointed a President’s Counsel in 2012 and was awarded the Outstanding Young Person of The Year for Achievement in Law in 2009. He has also served as Sri Lanka’s Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1997.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

25 July, 2022

Former Minister Sagala Ratnayake has been appointed as the President’s Chief of Staff. The appointment has been made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Ratnayake has also been appointed as a senior advisor to the President on security.

Ratnayake who is a close associate of Wickremesinghe previously served as the Minister of Law and Order during the Good Governance regime.

MIAP

An overseas travel ban has been imposed to frontline leaders of the non-partisan protest against the current regime including Convener of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Wasantha Mudalige, Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Association Joseph Stalin, Convener of the Socialist Youth Union Eranga Gunasekara, Rev. Fr. Jeewantha Peiris, Lahiru Weerasekara and Rangana Lakmal, based on a request made by the Colombo Fort Police.

The non-partisan protest leaders were charged of damaging public property during a protest held in front of the Colombo Police Headquarters on June 06 and the case filed against the protesters was taken up before Magistrate Thilina Gamage today (25).

MIAP

The Navy has reportedly found the T56 that was said to have been stolen by attacking an army officer during a protest at Polduwa junction near the Parliament entrance on July 13.

The missing firearm was found under the Samanala Bridge in Diyawanna Oya in Rajagiriya towards Parliament.

The Navy Diving Force retrieved the missing T56 and an empty ammunition bag on July 23 and handed them over to the Welikada Police.

The Welikada Police are conducting further investigations into the matter.

MIAP

In a startling revelation, officials attached to presidential transport division informed the law enforcement authorities that at least 40 vehicles in the transport fleet of presidential secretariat have been disappeared at present.

These vehicles were in the pool of 749 vehicles before the invasion and forcibly occupation of protesters in the former parliamentary building complex after a daring take over of the premises by hundreds protest demonstrators.

There was no information what so ever on what has happened to 17 cars 12 motor cycles, 6 single cabs, 2 double cabs and 3 vehicles of other makes, senior official said adding that the transport division has a proper inventory of vehicles and other items under its custody before the forcibly taking over of the building.

This historic building had been occupied by protesters since July 9 and they fled the are following the military operation in the early hours of last Friday.   

The officer in charge of vehicle fleet  at the President’s House has already complained to the Fort Police Station that many parts of the vehicles in the President’s vehicle garage have been stolen.

He noted that about 20 vehicles were parked in that garage and he cannot say anything about how many vehicles were there at the president’s vehicle pool as relevant documents were missing.

Meanwhile, video footage has also been released on the fleet of vehicles found at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.the fleet of over 15 vehicles found at the Presidential Secretariat includes luxury cars and SUVs. 

The mandate given by the people in the last presidential election and the general election has now been cancelled and therefore, a general election should be held as soon as possible to pave the way for a new mandate, said former Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya.

The ex Commission Chief added that should elections be held for the establishment of democracy, there are institutions to bear the costs for it and countries like Afghanistan and Bangladesh can be pointed out as examples for such scenarios.

The holding of an election amidst this economic crisis may not be much of a problem in the event that the government officials have already declared that they are ready to engage in election duties without receiving any allowance, he added.

MIAP

Despite the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s (CEYPETCO) claim of fuel being available with enough stocks, not every filling station will receive petrol and diesel given that the distribution has been restricted, Kumara Rajapaksa, President of the Filling Station Owners’ Association, told media today (25).

In the backdrop, the filling station owners urged the consumers to reach only the filling stations where fuel is available and the required fuel can be collected as the information pertaining to fuel availability is updated daily on the internet.

Waiting in queues would be unnecessary in the event that fuel will be distributed only according to the vehicle number and the QR Code system, Rajapaksa added.

He noted that the vehicle number system and the QR Code system are successfully being implemented.

MIAP