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To check deterioration of Police force
SSP recommends course of discipline cops
by Norman PalihawadanaA short-term course designed to discipline members of the Police Force has been recommended to the Inspector General Lucky Kodituwakku by Senior Superintendent of Police and Director Public Relations with a view to arresting the falling disciplinary standards in the Department, a senior Police official told 'The Island'.
He said going by the large number of complaints by members of the public, a need has arisen to discipline our policemen.
Discipline, he explained played a major role in the survival of any organisation. Without discipline no organisation could survive. Deterioration set in wherever discipline was lacking. It was all the more necessary when it came to a country's police force, the source said.
If the country's law enforcing officers were not disciplined, how could they perform the functions expected of them efficiently and honestly. Where integrity was concerned, policemen whatever rank they belonged to should be above board.
As law enforcing officers, policemen have to set an example to others in the society.
It was with this in view a course in discipline for policemen had been recommended to the IGP, the source said.
There is an all round deterioration of discipline in the Police Department. This is clearly evident from the large number of complaints ranging from bribery and corruption to lethargy.
Police Headquarters therefore has given serious thought to the matter.
When considering particularly promotions to officers in the department discipline will be considered as a major criterion sources said. The implementation of the programme will be initiated after the return of IGP to the country.
Saturday Commentary
Economic crisis, rape and politicians
by Prasad GunewardenePolitical party leaders in the government and the UNP at loggerheads with the top businessmen in the country expressing concern to uplift the economy by finding a lasting solution to the ethnic problem. It creates an unhealthy atmosphere to the intention of the business community. The grave concern about the country's economy shown by some top business magnates is an indication that the economy is in a deplorable state or it is unhealthy.
These businessmen met the hierarchy of the government a few days ago and wished the UNP opposition too to join them in that meeting. Unfortunately this was not to be so as the UNP claims that some ministers in the government were carrying out a planned attack on its leader Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. Almost on the eve of the meeting of the business community with the govenrment, Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera appeared on the 'Sirasa' TV and took the opportunity to attack the Opposition Leader and his personal staff too. The UNP claims that even Justice Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris too had made unfavourable remarks recently about the Opposition Leader following the UNP's All Party Conference where businessmen, professionals and some political party leaders participated. It accuses the government of having prevented many important sections from attending that meeting.
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's argument is how he could sit together with the same men who attacked him for no reason. Mr. Wickremesinghe claims that it is the duty of the party in power to create a conducive climate for talks between the government and the opposition on national issues. Political analysts say that the mud slinging campaign from both sides have now completed four years and it might continue for the fifth successive year at the expense of national problems which have the potential unless solved in time to the national economy with the escalating defence expenditure to fight the terrorist war. The UNP also accuses the government of being corrupt to the core in such a short period in office.
Recently, a group of UNP parliamentarians who called themselves the 89' or the 345 group discussed over a dinner in Colombo the alleged corruption of the government. This meeting was given wide publicity in the state media which the UNP says was to create the impression that there was a splinter group within the UNP. Mr. Wickremesinghe took up this issue at the UNP parliamentary group meeting last Tuesday. Members of the group who were at the dinner explained that they met in a fashion as members of a class in a school meet. Mr. Wickremesinghe stated that in the event of fighting the corruption of the government the party should do that unitedly and not in groups. This was endorsed by the parliamentary group and Mr. Wickremesinghe made no mention of disbanding any group within the party but he stood firm and told the members that there was only one group in the United National Party led by him.
Last week saw the Galle Road from Dehiwala up to Moratuwa fully decorated in blue while the eight mile stretch on the Piliyandala Road starting from Boralesgamuwa to Piliyandala going full green. The Galle Road took a blue turn as President Chandrika Kumaratunga went to Moratuwa to address a Kantha Sanvidhanaya meeting which was well attended. The UNP leader took the Piliyandala Road which was full green to address the UNP 'bala mandalaya' meeting which too was well attended. Of late, the two sides are fully geared to decorate the roads where their leaders go in an attempt to show their strength.
This appears to be an indication that the two sides are gearing themselves for an election that would be round the corner, either Provincial or Presidential.
Meanwhile, political violence and rape of young girls below the age of twelve allegedly by politicians appear to be on the increase at a time President Kumaratunga herself strives to combat child abuse and violence. During the past two weeks it was reported that a Pradeshiya Sabha member and a Provincial Member had allegedly raped two girls aged ten and eleven respectively. In the last case where a PC member was allegedly involved it was reported that the member of the victim's family and the police had been intimated by the supporters of the PC members in a bid to distort the facts relating to the offence. Following the rape of the Indian beauty Rita John Manoharan at Crow Island and the subsequent rape of the two young girls allegedly by politicians women's organisations launched a protest in the city demanding protection of women from rapists.
While incidents of political violence were reported from areas such as Ratnapura, Gampaha, Puttalam and Matara, the latest incident being reported from Negombo two days ago. It was reported that the Deputy Mayor of the Negombo Municipal Council who is a PA member and his two sons were set upon by armed men who had arrived in a van. The Deputy Mayor was rushed to hospital in a critical state along with his two sons. The trio was admitted to the accident service with serious injuries. According to the police, the victims had identified that there were some PA supporters among the attackers.
With rape, violence, murder on the rise despite the ongoing war in the North and East, the business community is striving hard to build the economy. They have now decided to meet the UNP separately to hold talks on the need to end the war to build a strong economy. On Monday they are scheduled to have a meeting with the UNP leader Ranil Wickrmesinghe, UNP Chairman Karu Jayasuriya and the senior UNPer, former Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel.
Tri Star Apparel workers to show their latent talent in arts
Thousands of apparel manufacturing employees in eight garment factories managed by Tri Star Apparel Exports in the Kuru-negala district will take time off from their machines to display their talents in the field of arts when an arts festival of the employees, will go on the boards at the Tri Star's factory premises at Polgaha-wela at 3 p.m. on October 24 (Saturday).
A unique feature of this event is that it is organised and initiated by the employees themselves led by the management and staff of the Polgahawela factory despite their busy schedule of manu-facturing garments for export. Parents and relatives of the employees are expected to participate.
Several items of song, dance and drama will be presented by employees of Tri Star's factories at Polgahawela, Damba-deniya, Alawwa, Ma-wathagama, Galga-muwa, Yapahuwa, Pol-pithigama and Karanda-golla factories. All of these factories were opened by the Tri Star Group under its pioneering concept of taking industries from town to villages helping in alleviation of poverty and providing training and employment opportunities to thousands of village youths who had earlier not handled a sewing machine.
The Chairman of Tri Star Group Deshabandu Kumar Dewapura paying a tribute to the Tri Star workers in organising a Cultural Festival on their own said that he was happy that these employees have not only improved their living conditions economically but have found the time and effort to bring out their latent talents in arts as well.
Also as an adjunct to the Arts Festival Tri Star on this day will hold the first draw of a special inhouse lottery conducted monthly whereby 30,000 strong workforce of the company will be afforded the opportunity of winning once a month 8000 prizes including a jackpot prize of Rs. 100,000/-, a prize of Rs. 50,000/- and prizes of Rs. 10,000/-, Rs. 5000/-, Rs. 1000/-, Rs. 500/-, Rs. 100/-, Rs. 50/and Rs. 20/-. Each ticket is priced at Rs. 10.
Tri Star's own musical band 'The Super Tri Star Band' will entertain the employees with reputed artists billed to sing on this day. - (Press Release)
President in question and answer session
President Chandrika Kumaratunga will reply to questions sent by the Tamil speaking community relating to problems faced by them, tomorrow (24) over the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation from 6.45 p.m. onwards. The programme will be simultaneously broadcast over the Tamil National, Tamil Commercial and Vanampadi services of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Government Information Department announced.
UNP grass root bodies to map out strategy
Over five thousand 'Parshada leaders' representing the grass-root level organizations of the United National Party will gather at Kurunegala in the North Western Province on Saturday (24) for a two day symposium at which the future strategy of the party will be mapped out. The logistical arrangements at Kurunegala for this biggest youth gathering will be handled under the direction of party General Secretary Gamini Athukorale, jointly by Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Kurunegala district MP and Nimal Bandara former Chief Minister of the NWP who is also the zonal organiser for the event. Laxman Yapa Abeywardana, Galle district MP is the national coordinator of the Parshada Movement. Speaking at a preparatory meeting for the event Mr. Abey-wardana said 'Since the reorganization of the party by Leader Ranil Wickramesinghe the 'Parshada Movement' has emerged as a strong community based organization for the party enabling new leadership to emerge from the community level itself. There are more than five thousand such organizations spread throughout the island and this is the first time the representatives are brought together for a reflective session.
At the Kurunegala Welagedara Stadium the representatives will form into seven committees and their deliberation will proceed for two days focussing more on the future directions and the strategies of the party. The plenary planned will take up the reports prepared by the working committees of the Parshada Movement for ratification. Leader Ranil Wickramesinghe is expected to participate at the entire proceeding and he will make use of this opportunity to have a constructive dialogue formally and informally with the grass-root level representatives, he said. Another 1000 representatives from the Yowun Peramuna of the UNP led by Anada Kularatne, Southern Province MP will also hold their sessions closer to same venue and they will join the main sessions presided over by the party leader later on October 25. - (Press Release)
LTTE female suicide bomber in prison to say 'I do'
by Kalinga K. A. WeerakkodyFirst time in the history of prisons in Sri Lanka a female LTTE activist has been allowed to marry a male prisoner.
Commissioner of Prisons P. Baskarasingham told 'The Island' that this is the first time that the authorities have given a LTTE member to get married while in prison.
He further said a love affair had existed between the couple for sometime and when she was arrested a couple of months back she was two months pregnant. She is alleged to be a suicide bomber.
'On humanitarian grounds we granted permission for them to enter wedlock, the Commissioner said the woman is in the female ward of the Welikada prison while the man is at the Kalutara prison.
Mr. Baskarasingham said that for normal prisoners permission had been granted on earlier occasions to marry while in prison.
"There was an occasion where 17 marriages took place in one single day," he added.
The main reason for this was that in some villages though the suspects lived as husband and wife they were not legally married, he pointed out.
Statement on Credit card issue
Statement made by Mangala SamaraweeraMinister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Media told Parliament yesterday that:
On the 4th August, 1998, the UNP sponsored a motion of no confidence against me, in relation to my official credit card issued by Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd. During the course of the debate my colleagues and myself dealt in detail with the frivolous, malicious and totally distorted charges levelled against me. Consequently this motion was defeated with a majority of 41.
While totally rejecting the third charge levelled against me, which was, to quote the hansard "where as the said credit card has also been used to pay for the viewing of obscene material on the Internet". I gave a solemn assurance to this house that the CID will be asked to inquire into this internet fraud. In fact the Deputy Minister of Defence, General Anuruddha Ratwatte participating in this debate said "Mr. Deputy Speaker — the truth will be revealed. Not us but the Interpol will reveal the truth. Before long, we will be able to know which computer was involved. Then we can find out. If it is him, I will say so without any doubt. If it is someone else we will state that also very clearly", translation of Hon. Anuruddha Ratwatte’s Sinhala statement.
On 10th May, an English Sunday newspaper, the de facto official organ of the opposition UNP in violation of normally accepted banking ethics published the number of his official credit card. Subsequently on the 21st June the same newspaper carried detailed information on DMR Internet Services a site claimed by the newspaper as an adult site, accessed twice on the 12th May as well as Land Slide Productions — also claimed to be an adult site accessed on the 10th May; curiously, all these transactions had taken place after the publication of my credit card number.
"I informed the Bank of Ceylon about these fraudulent transaction on the 22nd of June the day after the Sunday Leader article and I was told by the bank that there has been 32 transactions in the internet since the 10th May when my credit card number was first published. It is in this context the CID investigation commenced.
The advice of some of our top computer experts were sought by the CID who in turn advised them to locate the IP number (Internet Protocol number) of each of these transactions. (Due to the scarcity of time I would like to table a technical explanation of the IP number for the benefit of members of this House who like myself are not computer experts).
As it was revealed that the majority of the adult internet sites in question were based in the United States, the help of the American authorities was sought to identify the IP numbers of each of there transaction. As the process of obtaining such information is complex and time consuming the CID requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to first concentrate on DMR internet Services which was the site written about in detail by the Sunday Leader.
Therefore, I would now like to describe the information obtained from the FBI, about the fraudulent transactions that had been done with a company by the name of DMR. The company functions as a front-end and payment agent for information suppliers. According to information supplied by DMR to the FBI, the credit card number in question had been used on two occasions on May 12th and on three other occasions after that. The first transaction had occurred early morning on the 12th US Eastern time — meaning that the act would have been perpetrated in the mid-afternoon of the 12th May (a public holiday during the Vesak weekend) in Sri Lanka. In each case the IP number recorded by the DMR system was 204, 143, 102, 165, suggesting that the fraudulent transactions had originated from a computer with a permanently assigned IP number and not one that had dialed upto an Internet Service Provider. If the latter was the case, one would see different IP numbers being recorded. The finding is equivalent to discovering the registration or chassis number of a car that had been used in the commission of a series of crimes.
The IP numbers starting with 204, 143 are known to be used primarily by Sri Lanka Telecom Limited. When the CID asked SLTL who had been assigned the number block including 204, 143, 102, 165 it was told that approximately 30 numbers including this number had been given to the J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre. This finding is equivalent to discovering the identity of the person or organization associated with the registration or chassis number of the car that had been used in the commission of a series of crimes. Based on this information, the CID obtained a court order to search the premises of the Centre, located on Dharmapala Mawatha, near the Town Hall.
Under the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act, No. 25 of 1991, Telecommunication systems can be operated only under license issued by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. No license has been issued to the Jayewardene Centre to operate an Internet Service business. Prima facie, it would appear that the computers associated with the block of numbers obtained from Sri Lanka Telecom Limited would have to be used for the purposes of the Centre, located within the Centre, and operated by its employees. Police investigations have revealed that the number has been associated with a computer that formed part of a Local Area Network (LAN). Approximately eight of the computers had been located in a locked room within the Jayewardene Centre to which access had been provided by the Administrator of the Centre. Approximately two other computers located in other parts of the building had been connected to the LAN.
The investigators had been informed that the computers were under the control of an organizational entity that reported to the governing board of the centre. As Mr. Pradeep Jayewardene who is in charge of this entity is out of the country, a person from that company had provided access to the computer system on the request of the CID.
At this point, it has been established beyond doubt that at least five fraudulent transactions have originated from a computer under the control of the J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre, using an IP number assigned to the Centre. Investigation of evidence, including evidence that may be embedded in the computer at the Centre, is continuing in order to establish the identity of the person or persons who perpetrated this offence. Irrespective of that last step, it appears that Mr. Pradeep Jayewardene (who was in Sri Lanka when the offences were committed) and the Centre bear a quantum of responsibility for illegal acts committed using facilities under their control.
In laymans language — Mr. Speaker — now that the chassis number of the car which committed this evil crime has been established it will be a matter of time before the identity of the driver and his accomplices are exposed. I can also assure this House that detail of the other 27 transactions will also be revealed to this House in due course as it becomes available from the FBI. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the officials of the CID involved in this investigation as well as the INTERPOL and the FBI for their support in this investigation.
In conclusion it is indeed ironic that these fraudulent transactions to defame me should have been taken place in the J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre, dedicated to celebrate an era, which according to many was the beginning of the conspiratorial politics of evil in this country. In fact, that the computers of this "Dharmishta" centre should be the sponsor of a despicable coup to defame me on a day Buddhists all over the world was celebrating the Birth, the Enlightenment and the Passing Away of our Lord Buddha, is indeed proof that evil will never win!
Mangala didn’t divulge everything, charges Ranil
By our Parliamentary reportersMinister Mangala Samaraweera who made a statement on the floor of the House Thursday morning on his Credit Card issue did not reveal all the facts uncovered by the CID which conducted investigations into the matter, said Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, in Parliament yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Wickreme-singhe, making a special statement in response to Minister Samaraweera’s statement, told the House that the CID interviewed Secretary General of the J. R. Jaye-wardene Cultural Centre, K. M. W. P. Mapiti-gama, over the alleged use of Mr. Samara-weera’s Credit Card to have access to the centre’s Web Site to view pornographic films.
However Mr. Ma-pitigama directed the CID to M. Pilima-thalawa of the computer engineering firm which under a contract with the Centre manages the Centre’s Computer Department. Mr. Pilimathalawa co-operated with the CID officers who were conducting the investigations.
It transpired at these inquiries that that the computers of the centre could be used from outside to gain access to Internet information provided the user knows the pass-word.
Mr. Wickreme-singhe said that the questions the CID is currently trying to probe is whether this is actually possible.
It is only the Telecom which knows all the pass-words in use in this country. This is just like the Department of Motor Traffic which has records of the chassis numbers of all the vehicles that are in use in the country. Some people may know some of them but the Motor Traffic Department knows all of them.
Mr. Wickreme-singhe said ten to twelve search warrants had been obtained to search places for the purpose of the CID investigations into this matter.
He said that the Director General of the J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre Pradeep Jayewardene went abroad in September. Mr. Jayewardene’s departure has been described as "running away" and this is quite unfair. Mr. Jayewar-dene will be back soon, he added.
He said that Director General Jayewar-dene was not a person who would be party to any illegal act. Nor would Mr. Pilima-thalawa or Prof. Kingsley de Silva, he added.
The Computer Engineering Company which is under contract operates the Centre’s Computer Section is a professional company, he further said.
" I am rather sorry that the name of Mr. Jayewardene had been involved in the whole affair. It is being done because he is away from the country at the moment. When he returns we could know more about it" Mr. Wickere-masinghe added
He said the name of Prof. de Silva too has been dragged into the scene only for the purpose of tarring his name.
Twenty seven years ago the father of Pradeep Jayewardene was taken into custody and was detained on charges of assisting the insurgents but it was proved later that he had no dealings with the insurgents, Mr. Wickre-mesinghe said.
He further said the full details of the CID investigations should be revealed to the House. What has actually happened could be ascertained if the full details are revealed, he added
He said that the Incumbent President of the country was the Ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Governors of Centre. The Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker of the Parliament and all living ex-Presidents of the country were the Ex-officio members of the board.
Mangala to sue JRJ Cultural Centre
Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera told yesterday’s Cabinet press briefing that he would be filing action against the J. R. Jayewardene Cultural Centre for allegedly permitting its computer section to be used for accessing pornographic web sites that were charged to his official credit card.
