The Attorney General has informed the Supreme Court that 31 suspects have been identified in connection with the investigation into the violent attack on the “Gota Go Gama” protest site at Galle Face in May 2022 during the ‘Aragalaya’ movement and that charges would also be filed against then Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon.

State Counsel Sajith Bandara, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, stated that indictments are expected to be filed against the suspects in the near future, said Ada Derana reporter.

The disclosure was made when the Supreme Court took up for consideration five fundamental rights petitions filed by a group of activists, who alleged that the police and other authorities had violated their fundamental rights by failing to prevent the attack on May 9, 2022.

The petitions were heard before a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justices Shiran Gunaratne, and Achala Wengappuli.

State Counsel Bandara informed the Court that the Court of Appeal had earlier issued an interim injunction affecting the investigations. 

However, he noted that the Supreme Court has since suspended the injunction, allowing investigations to proceed further.

He further revealed that 31 individuals have been identified as suspects in the case, including several former Members of Parliament, and that indictments will soon be filed against them under the Criminal Procedure Code.

Chief Justice Surasena inquired under which law the prosecutions would be initiated, to which State Counsel Bandara responded that charges would be brought in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The State Counsel further explained that several then Members of Parliament from the previous government were also among the suspects identified in this manner.

During the proceedings, counsel appearing for the petitioners presented evidence alleging that the attack occurred as a direct result of police inaction at the scene.

Responding to this, State Counsel Bandara acknowledged that a significant number of police officers, along with water cannons, had been present during the incident but were not properly deployed. 

He further informed the Court that criminal charges would also be filed against the then Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (Western Province), Deshabandu Tennakoon, for allegedly neglecting to take appropriate action during the attack.

Attorney-at-Law Sanjeewa Weerawickrama, appearing for respondent Deshabandu Tennakoon, argued that allowing the hearing of the fundamental rights petitions at a time when the Attorney General is preparing to file criminal charges against his client would cause serious prejudice. He therefore suggested that the Court consider hearing the petitions only after the conclusion of the related criminal proceedings.

Following the submissions, the Supreme Court reserved its decision, to be delivered at a later date.

During the proceedings, all parties agreed not to pursue the fundamental rights petitions against former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa, as no criminal charges are expected to be filed against them.

Among the respondents named in the petitions are former Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramarathne, Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon, and several other senior police officers. 

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that it intends to file a case before the Colombo High Court against well-known model Piumi Hansamali and prominent businessman Viranjith Thambugala, for alleged non-payment of income taxes amounting to over Rs. 400 million.

According to the IRD, both individuals are accused of evading income tax payments for the financial years 2022 and 2023.

The case was taken up yesterday (01) before Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, during which progress reports on the ongoing investigations into tax-related offences were presented.

Senior Counsel Dinesh Perera, appearing on behalf of the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, informed the court that investigation reports concerning the alleged tax evasion by Hansamali and Thambugala had been submitted to the Attorney General, and that the department intends to proceed with filing indictments before the Colombo High Court.

Perera further stated that proceedings will be instituted against Piumi Hansamali for allegedly evading personal income taxes amounting to Rs. 194 million, as well as for failing to pay Rs. 95 million in corporate income tax through her business operations under a company named ‘Lollia’, for the years 2022 and 2023.

In addition, the IRD will also seek to prosecute businessman Viranjith Thambugala, Chairman of Aura Lanka, before the High Court for the alleged non-payment of personal and corporate income tax totaling Rs. 194 million, inclusive of penalties and interest, for the same two-year period.

The department asserts that both suspects have committed offences involving the criminal misappropriation of funds by failing to remit taxes legally due to the government.

New York doctor sued for prescribing abortion pills to Texas woman

BATON ROUGE, La. — A New York doctor was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury on Friday for allegedly prescribing an abortion pill online in the Deep South state, which has one of the strictest near-total abortion bans in the U.S.

Grand jurors at the District Court for the Parish of West Baton Rouge issued an indictment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter; her company, Nightingale Medical, PC; and a third person. All three were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, a felony.

The case appears to be the first instance of criminal charges against a doctor accused of sending abortion pills to another state, at least since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door for states to have strict anti-abortion laws.

Carpenter was also sued by the Texas attorney general in December under similar allegations of sending pills to that state. That case did not involve criminal charges.

Carpenter did not immediately return a message.

Testing New York’s shield laws

The indictment could be the first direct test of New York’s shield laws, which are intended to protect prescribers who use telehealth to provide abortion pills to patients in states where abortion is banned.

“Earlier today, a New York doctor was indicted in Louisiana for using telemedicine to prescribe abortion medication to a patient. That’s right: a doctor is being prosecuted for providing basic health care to her patient. We always knew that overturning Roe v. Wade wasn’t the end of the road for anti-abortion politicians. That’s why I worked with the Legislature to pass nation-leading laws to protect providers and patients. It’s more critical than ever for states to step up and protect reproductive freedom — and I’ll never back down from this fight,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a prepared release.

Hochul signed the bill protecting doctors from out-of-state lawsuits in 2023.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who would enforce the shield law, said in a statement:

“Abortion care is health care. The criminalization of abortion care is a direct and brazen attack on Americans’ bodily autonomy and their right to reproductive freedom. This cowardly attempt out of Louisiana to weaponize the law against out-of-state providers is unjust and un-American. We will not allow bad actors to undermine our providers’ ability to deliver critical care. Medication abortion is safe, effective, and necessary, and New York will ensure that it remains available to all Americans who need it.”

Pills have become the most common means of abortion in the U.S., accounting for nearly two-thirds of them by 2023. They’re also at the center of political and legal action over abortion. In January, one judge let three states continue to challenge federal government approvals for how one of the drugs usually involved can be prescribed.

Louisiana classifies abortion pills as “controlled dangerous substances”

The indictment comes just months after Louisiana became the first state with a law to reclassify both mifepristone and misoprostol as “controlled dangerous substances.” The drugs are still allowed, but medical personnel have to go through extra steps to access them.

Under the legislation, if someone knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any purpose, they could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for one to five years. The law carves out protections for pregnant women who obtain the drug without a prescription to take on their own.

Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, Louisiana has had a near-total abortion ban, without any exceptions for rape or incest. Under the law, physicians convicted of performing an illegal abortion, including one with pills, face up to 15 years in prison, $200,000 in fines and the loss of their medical license.

“Make no mistake, since Roe v Wade was overturned, we’ve witnessed a disturbing pattern of interference with women’s rights,” the Abortion Coalition of Telemedicine, where Carpenter is one of the founders, said in a statement. “It’s no secret the United States has a history of violence and harassment against abortion providers, and this state-sponsored effort to prosecute a doctor providing safe and effective care should alarm everyone.”

Stocks of Adani Group companies will be in focus on Thursday after Gautam Adani, head of India’s Adani Group, and seven others face charges in the United States in a multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme, news agencies including Reuters and Bloomberg reported on November 21. Prosecutors announced the charges on Wednesday, alleging that the group bribed Indian officials to secure solar energy contracts.

Adani announced an investment in green energy on Wednesday. The announcement came as the company’s chairman congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory. “Adani announced the investment while also congratulating U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his election win,” a Reuters report said.

It may be noted here that Trump has promised to simplify regulations for energy companies, making it easier for them to drill on federal land and construct pipelines.

Gautam Adani indicted in US: What the case is all about

As per the case by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gautam Adani has been charged with allegedly “defrauding American investors and bribing officials”. Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, 30, executives of Adani Green Energy, and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global Ltd were charged with “conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, as well as substantive securities fraud, for their roles in a multi-billion-dollar scheme to obtain funds from US investors and global financial institutions through false and misleading statements”.The indictment says Adani and the others paid approximately $265 million in bribes. They expected these contracts to generate $2 billion in profit over two decades. Prosecutors claim some involved in the scheme used code names like “Numero uno” and “the big man” to refer to Gautam Adani.

The indictment also alleges Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and another executive, Vneet Jaain, hid the bribes from lenders and investors to secure over $3 billion in loans and bonds for Adani Green Energy.

The charges fall under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a US law against bribery in foreign business dealings.

“This indictment alleges schemes to pay over USD 250 million in bribes to Indian government officials, to lie to investors and banks to raise billions of dollars, and to obstruct justice,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H Miller.

“These offences were allegedly committed by senior executives and directors to obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of US investors,” she added.

Adani Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment, where the charges were announced early Thursday morning, Reuters added.

Reports said Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani have been issued arrest warrants. The US Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against the two men and another individual, Cyril Cabanes.

Also Read: Adani Green Energy raises $600 million via 20-year bonds

The US government has not yet revealed full details about the specific allegations against Adani and the other individuals. , a large conglomerate based in India.

Gautam Adani, 62, holds the position of 22nd richest person globally, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of $69.8 billion.

This is the second major setback for the Indian billionaire, coming after the Hindenburg Research case where the US-based short-seller accused Adani Group of improperly using offshore tax havens. Adani Group has denied these allegations. The report, released in January 2023, had triggered a significant drop in Adani Group stocks, wiping out approximately $150 billion.

Adani scraps $600 million bond, other notes drop on US charges

Units of Adani Group scrapped a $600 million dollar bond on Thursday after US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani, the group founder with participating in an alleged bribe plot. The group’s existing US-currency notes plunged in Asian trading.

The Indian conglomerate decided not to proceed with the offering in view of recent press releases from Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.

Adani Green Energy UP dollar notes sold in March declined by 15 cents, a record, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Other notes from group companies dropped the most since a short-seller report in 2023 by Hindenburg Research sparked a more than $150 billion rout in Adani Group stocks.

Adani Electricity Mumbai dollar notes due in February 2030 dropped by 8.2 cents, the most since a short-seller report in 2023 by Hindenburg Research allegations.

Full list of names and details of defendants

According to a US Attorney’s Office (New York) office, the people involved in the briber and fraud case are:

GAUTAM S. ADANI
Age: 62
India

SAGAR S. ADANI
Age: 30
India

VNEET S. JAAIN
Age: 53
India

RANJIT GUPTA
Age: 54
India

CYRIL CABANES
Age: 50
France / Australia

SAURABH AGARWAL
Age: 48
India

DEEPAK MALHOTRA
Age: 45
India

RUPESH AGARWAL
Age: 50
India

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Daniel Schatt, a Cred co-founder and former CEO, Joseph Podulka, former CFO, and James Alexander, the former chief capital officer, were indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California. Schatt and Podulka were arrested and made their initial appearances in a San Francisco court earlier in the day, according to a press release published Friday.