Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that he had filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding a false news story published in a newspaper, making it a criminal offense to write news stories despite the existence of remedial mechanisms such as the Press Complaints Commission and the Right to Reply.
He said this in a special statement made in Parliament on December 4 regarding the commemorations in the North.
‘A statement I made in Ehetuwewa in the Anuradhapura area was deliberately falsified and reported. it was a complete distortion. I have filed a complaint with the CID regarding this. An investigation has already been initiated in this regard,’ the Public Security Minister said in Parliament.
It is a well-known fact that making the publication of false news a criminal offense is a restriction on media freedom, and summoning journalists to an institution that investigates serious crimes such as the Criminal Investigation Department is a serious restriction on media freedom. “While it is the government’s responsibility to combat racism, it is also the government’s responsibility to respond to false news, and we emphasize that in doing so, instead of suppressing the media, internationally accepted methods should be used.” commented Satahan web site.