Yoshitha Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The CID today fact-reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court to launch a fresh investigation into the controversial statement made by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne on ‘white van drivers’ at a press conference held prior to the presidential election.

Addressing a press conference held on November 10, the former minister said a new government of theirs would probe into the alleged murders and abductions took place during the Rajapaksa regime.

In front of the media, he had presented two individuals whom he claimed were a ‘white van’ driver and victim of an attempted abduction in such a setting.

However, reporting facts before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, the CID informed that it would launch investigations into suspects Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjaya Madanayake who were reported to be a white van driver and victim.

Furthermore, the CID said it would conduct investigations into accommodation facilities provided to both suspects and on concealing facts in connection to the said incident.

The CID requested a magisterial order for television channels requesting unedited video clips of the press conference. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the channels to provide the needful.

The complaint has been lodged by an individual identified as Kumudu Pradeep Sanjeewa Perera and the CID is to continue investigations according to Section 102, 113 and 119 of the Penal Code.