Defence counsel appearing for the accused arrested in connection with the murder of former TNA Jaffna district MP Nadaraja Raviraj raised issues relating to the credibility of the state witness in the case suggesting that he has given false statements to police. Witness Wijeya Wickrema Manamperige Sanjaya Preethi Viraj who was made a state witness in the Raviraj murder trial was yesterday cross-examined by defence counsel before Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage.

The witness stated in Court that he had given two statements to CID on May 21 and 22, 2008 but didn't reveal the truth behind the killing of former MP since he was in fear of his life. However, he admitted that he compelled to reveal all details in 2015, since he felt the situation in the country had changed drastically. Meanwhile, the witness accepted the fact that he had associated with several members of the LTTE-Karuna faction who were involved in the murder, but denied his subsequent association with them. When the defence asked whether he was having several court cases over the abduction of persons, transporting of cannabis and vehicle robberies, the witness said he was having a number of pending cases. Further magisterial inquiry into the matter was fixed for January 29.

At the previous magisterial inquiry, the state witness affirmed Court that the officers attached to the Naval intelligence camp in Laundry Watta in Gangaramaya conspired to commit the murder of Raviraj. He admitted that he saw the former MP being shot by the remanded suspect Gamini Seneviratne at Manning Town in Narahenpita. The state witness stated that he received instructions to accompany the gunman on a motorcycle and to kill an LTTE member. He said he rode the motorcycle with the gunman. The state witness admitted that until the shooting that took place in Narahenpita, he was not aware of the person who was going to be killed. The CID filed charge sheets in Court against seven accused including four Navy personnel, two ex-LTTE cadres affiliated to the Karuna faction for allegedly conspiring to commit the murder of the former TNA MP.

The Attorney General had given instructions to conduct a non-summary inquiry in respect of the seven accused, namely Palana Sami Suresh, Hettiarachchilage Prasath Chandana Kumara, Gamini Seneviratne, Pradeep Chaminda, Sivakanthan Vivekanandan alias Charan, Fabian Royston Tusen and Sampath Munasinghe. Parliamentarian Raviraj was shot dead near his residence Manning Town in Narahenpita in 2006 when he was driving his vehicle along Martha Road. The CID had recovered the trishaw and the weapon allegedly used in the killing of the former parliamentarian.

While refuting claims by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government had allocated funds required to increase public sector salaries, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that no such funds had been allocated.

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Ranjan Ramanayake from contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for November 14.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of undertaking reforms which have led to some hard won gains, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)said they could move fast towards the third review which will come up soon.

The Election Commission has decided to mark the voters' index fingers for this year's general elections, Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake announced. He said the elections are scheduled for November 14, 2024.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to hold a series of meetings with the High Commissioners of South Africa and New Zealand, along with the Ambassadors of Iran and Myanmar, as well as a delegation from the European Union today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the security threats to Israeli nationals in the Arugam Bay area, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Sri Lanka should get its foreign policy right in the wake of the escalating Middle East crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman said today.

The Canadian government has issued a travel advisory urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due to demonstrations, the threat of terrorist attacks and crime, particularly in the Arugam Bay area.

Sri Lankan security forces have been alerted to a potential attack on Israelis in the Arugam Bay area by Indian intelligence agencies. According to intelligence information, the threat is believed to be targeted at foreign nationals.

Former Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara asked why the government did not take action to beef up security for foreign tourists in advance if it had received information on a possible threat on October 7, according to the statement made by Acting Chief of Police.