State officials: Half of them should be in jail by now: Auditor General

More than half the state officials would be in jail by now if they were dealt in the manner in which former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga was dealt with and sentenced to prison on charges of misusing State funds, Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe said yesterday.

“Mr. Weeratunga was sentenced to prison for misusing public funds

I wasn’t informed of a ministerial post – Buddhika Pathirana

He has not been officially notified regarding a ministerial post which he will receive, says UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana.

He made these comments responding to questions raised by the media, when he returned to Sri Lanka from overseas, yesterday (17).

He continued to state that no notification has been made to him

SL a perfect location to run global programme on Maritime Crime: Sagala

Sri Lanka, especially with its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, was perfect to run a global programme on maritime crime, project management, Southern Development Minister and Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka said.

Addressing United Nations Security Council Open Arria Formula

Extend my term of office till next polls: Wigneswaran

Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran said tyesterday he had no objection to the postponement of the elections to his provincial council provided that his term of office was extended up to the point of the next polls.

Mr. Wigneswaran told Daily Mirror he would be opposed to placing

Rs. 20 mn for displaying portraits of WPC Chief Ministers

A sum of Rs. 20 millions is reported to be spent to paint the portraits of six former Western Provincial Council Chief Ministers and the sitting Chief Minister to be installed at the Battaramulla new building with plaques and necessary structural arrangements.

Accordingly, former Chief Ministers Susil Munasinghe, Morris

Ranjan will swear he didn’t receive money from Aloysius on one condition

Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake says that he is ready to sign an affidavit saying that he did not receive money from Arjun Aloysius.

He said these responding to the media at Divulapitiya.

However, he will only sign this affidavit, if the former President

SLFP will not support a common candidate for Presidential elections – Amaraweera

SLFP will not support a common candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election, says UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera.

Best candidate for the upcoming Presidential election is the current President Maithripala Sirisena, he stated.

SLFP has stated discussion within the party to make Maithripala

SLFPers can join SLPP on an individual basis: Basil

Former minister Basil Rajapaksa, who spearheads the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), ruled out the possibility of accommodating the members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) as a distinct political group under the SLPP banner.

However, he said the MPs who quit the government could join the

President asks group of 16 to remain united

President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have requested the 16 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members, who quit the government, to remain united amid reports about a split among the them.

Eleven of the 16, excluding MPs Susil Premajayantha, John

SriLankan likely to break-even in three years: Kiriella

The National Carrier SriLankan airlines is likely to break-even in three years,State Enterprise and Kandy Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella said during a visit to the SriLankan airlines head office yesterday.

“I have advised the new management to see that the airline's income