Media furore over ASP’s FB comment

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Kuvera de Zoysa, PC, would move court today (18) seeking police protection for Hiru anchor Chamuditha Samarawickrema.

Hiru made the announcement as Samarawickrema alleged that he hadn’t been provided protection in spite of the latest incident. Samarawickrema said that he was concerned for his personal safety and that of his family.

Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera says that he inquired from his son ASP Sachitra Adheesha as regards a controversial FB comment posted by him soon after the alleged attack directed at Hiru anchor Chamuditha Samarawickrema’s house at Gangarama road, Wewala, Piliyandala.

In a comment posted in Sinhala, ASP Weerasekera condemned those who insulted rocks and faeces by throwing them at Samawickrema’s house.

Minister Weerasekera described his son’s action as something done on the spur-of-the moment. The Island raised the issue with lawmaker Weerasekera as the ASP’s reaction to the incident attracted social media attention.

ASP Weerasekera is attached to the Police Hospital, Narahenpita as a medical officer.

Responding to another query, Minister Weerasekera said that he phoned Samarawickrema to inquire about the incident. Weerasekera said that less than two hours before the incident, the police had visited the journalist’s residence in line with a directive given earlier following an alleged death threat received by him last year.

The attack took place at about 2.10 am on Valentine’s Day. According to Minister Weerasekera, the police signed a book maintained therein at 12.45 am.

Minister Weerasekera assured that the police were confident in bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion.

Samarawickrema said that the police couldn’t turn a blind eye to that FB post. Several persons had been questioned for giving media statements as well as social media comments, Samarawickrema said. Therefore, a statement should be recorded from the ASP concerned, too, Samarawickrema said.

The outspoken media personality said that he provided to the police video footage of 22 CCTV cameras installed at his home. The former Media Director to President Maithripala Sirisena was concerned about the status of the investigation. Samarawickrema said so responding to The Island queries. “If the police failed to apprehend the culprits, this case, too, would end up as just another unsolved incident,” an irate Samarawickrema said, urging law enforcement authorities to take up the challenge.

In addition to serving in the Hiru TV, Samarawickrema runs two social media platforms.

Referring to the recovery of a hand grenade at All Saints Church, Borella on January 11, Samarawickrema said that an unprecedented intervention made by Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith completely changed the direction of the inquiry. Thanks to the Cardinal’s intervention, some innocent persons would have been still in custody.

Samarawickrema said that he explained to the police the pivotal importance in checking the entire available video footage without restricting it to the period after the intruders moved in.

Samarawickrema pointed out that the police apprehended the person who had brought the grenade to the Borella church after the Cardinal launched a scathing attack on the police over the handling of the investigation.

“As some interested parties have alleged that the attack had been staged by me and my wife, we asked the police to fingerprint us”, he said.

Samarawickrema said that the police could easily establish whether the same Wagon R type car had been used by the intruders to visit the housing scheme by checking the video footage. In addition to the three persons caught on camera throwing rocks and faeces at the journalist’s house, there had been two others. According to Samarawickrema and the police, one of them had held the security guard at gun-point at the entrance to the housing scheme and the driver of the vehicle stayed in it.

Samarawickrema pointed out that two of the attackers wore black helmets and the other a red one. The journalist insisted that they heard gunshots, though the house was not hit.

Responding to further questions, Samarawickrema said that he could not name any party as there were scores of persons angered by his reportage of events for Hiru as well as social media platform ‘Truth with Chamuditha.’ It wouldn’t be fair to them, Samarawickrema said, adding that he expected the police to make an early breakthrough.

Samarawickrema said that the status of the police investigation into an earlier death threat remained unclear. “Although, the police recorded my statement, I really do not know the outcome of the investigation,” Samarawickrema said.

He appreciated the announcement made by the Hiru management regarding them offering a reward of Rs 500,000 to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Samarawickrema said that information could be passed on to Hiru investigation team on 077-03 22821. A spokesperson for the team said that they would conduct inquiries on their own and share information with the police.

Appearing on Hiru, Samarwickrema told interviewer Panuka Rajapaksa that the attackers targeted their master bedroom though they slept elsewhere on that day. Acknowledging his wife and 14-year-old daughter had been thoroughly shaken up by the attack, Samarawickrema emphasised he wouldn’t leave the country for good though they could quickly leave for the US or Canada.