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Media reporting on Sathosa garlic scam: IGP to order probe of CID’s grilling of journos

30 Sep 2021

BY Dinitha Rathnayake Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera informed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to commence an investigation related to the questioning of several journalists regarding certain articles written on the recent garlic scam involving Sathosa employees. The Public Security Ministry highlighted that this investigation would mainly focus on the reason why the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers have neglected the order by Weerasekera despite the latter reassuring that journalists will not be questioned over this matter. Accordingly, the investigations by the Peliyagoda Special Crime Unit on the garlic scam would also be handed over to the CID. The CID had summoned several senior journalists over a complaint made by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana to the CID. The CID had informed the senior journalists to be present at 9 a.m. on 30 September at Investigation Unit Number Two of the CID. However, Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahappruma told the weekly cabinet media briefing on 28 September that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had given instructions not to summon journalists who reported on the garlic scam to the CID. Minister Alahapperuma also said that Minister Weerasekera had assured that CID officers will also not be sent to media institutions in this manner. Alahapperuma said that the Government does not condone such actions where journalists are summoned to the CID. He noted that while Minister Gunawardana had lodged a complaint with the CID pertaining to the incident, the latter had however not named or complained against any particular organisation or individual. However, in his comment, he said that it was reported to him that six journalists have been summoned to the CID including a senior journalist attached to a private Sinhala newspaper and a senior journalist attached to a private English newspaper, both owned by separate media organisations. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has condemned the threats made to the media and media freedom. The Leader of the Opposition, in a statement issued in this regard, said that the freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in the Constitution, and that in such a situation, threats to the media are unacceptable. Previously, four employees at Lanka Sathosa Ltd. were sent on compulsory leave following the revelation of the garlic scam, which involved container loads of garlic being cleared from the ports and then sold illegally under the pretext of shipping them to Lanka Sathosa. The garlic scam was tipped off by a Sathosa employee, revealed Lanka Sathosa Chairman Rear Admiral (Retd.) Ananda Peiris.


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