Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, stated in the Parliament of Sri Lanka yesterday (May 23) that there is no record of how Rs. 22 trillion, obtained as loans by past governments, was used.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has assured that the government has no intention of taking over lands owned by people in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Malini Fonseka, who was honored with the title “Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema,” passed away early this morning (May 24) at the age of 78 while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested three individuals, including a Deputy Commissioner and two other officials of the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 4 million.

The Chief Incumbent of the Sri Mangalarama Viharaya in Batticaloa, Ven. Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera, has been arrested by the Police following an incident of disorderly conduct at the Uhana Police Station.

Former Minister and Anuradhapura District Organiser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Duminda Dissanayake, has been arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in connection with the recovery of a gold-plated T-56 assault rifle.

Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today (May 23) announced the appointment of a three-member committee to investigate complaints regarding the conduct of Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Julie J. Chung, and key officials from USAID at the Parliament on Wednesday (May 21) to discuss the future of U.S. foreign assistance to Sri Lanka.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), ceremonially launched the official history book of the 1st Battalion of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) on Wednesday (May 21).

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K. D. Lal Kantha stated that the dignity of the public service was completely destroyed under the previous economic system, and that the entire country has collapsed due to politics and the deterioration of the public service.

Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, announced that the Sri Lankan government is taking strong steps to rebuild the country’s salt industry, which he says was destroyed by years of corruption and mismanagement.

Chandana Weerakumara, also known as Sakvithi Ranasinghe, and his wife Kumari Anuradhini, who pleaded guilty to charges including operating an illegal financial institution and accepting deposits exceeding Rs. 164.1 million from the public, were sentenced by the Colombo High Court to suspended prison terms and fines.

Two individuals have been arrested with 101.47 kilograms of heroin in Weeraketiya, police said.

The Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security has announced that a shipment of government-imported salt is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka by this evening (May 22).

The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Vavuniya Poovarasankulam Police Station has been taken into custody by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs. 500,000.

Fifteen teams from the Police Special Task Force (STF) have been deployed across Sri Lanka to crack down on organized crime.