Former Minister Mervyn Silva, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last morning (18), was released by the Colombo Additional Magistrate without bail last afternoon, but has been ordered to appear before the court on the next trial date. The former Minister/MP was arrested by the CID over an incident in which he forcibly entered the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) premises in 2007. On 27 December 2007, Mervyn Silva, who was the then-Labour Minister, along with his bodyguards, had stormed the premises of the SLRC in Colombo and allegedly assaulted its News Director. He had allegedly hurled abuse and assaulted the News Director for failing to broadcast video footage of his speech at a meeting in Matara. However, Silva and those who had accompanied him were then infamously held captive and attacked by the employees of SLRC. He was later freed by the Police, who had to escort him out of the SLRC premises in dramatic fashion.