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Police report says : No Ministers present at Govt. press premises on May 9

A Special Investigation Unit of the Police appointed by the Inspector General of Police to inquire into the complain made by Colombo District Member of Parliament Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra regarding use of force on him at the premises of the Government Press on May 9 has found no evidence from witnesses to indicate that Ministers John Amaratunga, Ravi Karunanayake or Gamini Lokuge were present in vehicles in Borella at the time of the incident the Ministry of Interior send in a press release.

The SIU report states that though Premachandra in his statement said that some people present at the Government Press that day told him that the three Ministers were present in vehicles towards Borella he (Mr. Premachandra) had himself not seen any of the Ministers being present.

Statements made by outside witness and the police officers present had not indicated any evidence of the presence of any of these Ministers, the report states.

The Special Investigating Unit states that it recorded the statement of MP Bharatha Premachandra in the early hours of May 10 at his residence, a short while after the alleged incident in the late hours on May 9.

Premachandra has stated that he visited the Government Press at 10.30 p.m. on receiving information that some persons were attacking the Press. At the time of his visit, the incident was over. He had noticed damages to the building and some vehicles. He held discussions with night shift employees.

At this stage SSP Colombo, Herath had come and requested Premachandra and night shift staff to leave the Government Press premises as their presence would hinder investigations. As he did not leave, Premachandra has alleged that ten police officers have put him on the ground and dragged him by his legs.

When he shouted he was bodily lifted and taken from the premises and left on the edge of the main road outside the Government Press. He was later taken to his residence by the Leader of the Opposition who came to the premises", the release ads.

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