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The Colombo High Court has ordered the temporary lifting of the overseas travel ban imposed on Parliamentarian Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, who is facing corruption-related charges.

The case was taken up today (18) based a motion, during which the defendant, MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, appeared before court, Ada Derana reporter stated.

Counsel appearing for the defense informed the court that the MP needed to undertake a foreign trip and requested that the travel ban imposed on him be temporarily lifted.

After considering the submissions made, the court ordered the temporary lifting of the foreign travel restriction.

The case against MP Dassanayake was filed over allegations that, while serving as the Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016, he committed an act of corruption by depositing a cheque issued for the Provincial Council into his personal bank account.

Compensation for crop damage caused by the recent adverse weather conditions will be provided through the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne has stated.

The Deputy Minister noted that information regarding the affected farmland is currently being collected and urged farmers to submit details of crop damage to the relevant officials.

He noted that reports had been received about cultivation lands damaged by the recent heavy rains and said instructions had already been issued through the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board and other departments to report all damaged crops within two weeks.

According to the Deputy Minister, officials are currently engaged in gathering information from affected farmers, and compensation payments will be processed within a short period through the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board once the necessary details are received.

He also appealed to farmers whose cultivation lands had been damaged to promptly provide their information through the relevant officials.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board, Pemasiri Jasingarachchi informed Ada Derana that steps would be taken to provide compensation swiftly based on the information submitted.

He further stated that officials would inspect the damaged cultivation lands and compensation would be determined according to the extent of the losses suffered by farmers.

The Supreme Court has ordered that a fundamental rights petition seeking the recovery of Rs. 15.9 billion in losses allegedly incurred by the government due to the reduction of taxes on imported sugar during the administration of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa be taken up on June 27.

The petition was called before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Shiran Gunaratne and Sampath Abeykoon today (18), Ada Derana reporter said.

After considering the submissions made before court, the judge bench directed that the petition be taken up for consideration on June 27.
 

A three-wheeler buried under a landslide near the Maspanna town in Uva Paranagama during Cyclone Ditwah has been recovered after 171 days.

The landslide occurred near the Maspanna town bus stand, burying several parked buses, motorcycles, three-wheelers and a number of nearby shops under massive amounts of soil and rock.

Authorities said the removal of debris had to be carried out slowly due to the continuing risk at the site. Clearance operations are still underway.

The three-wheeler was discovered during the ongoing excavation work and is believed to belong to a conductor attached to the Walapane Depot.

According to reports, the conductor had parked the vehicle near the bus stand on the night of the disaster before it was swept away and buried in the landslide.