Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday ordered the Criminal Investigations Department to obtain a report from the Colombo University’s IT department regarding the PCs that were seized from the office of the Sri Lankamirror and Sri Lanka news that were searched by the CID in Kotte last Friday (29).
The Magistrate ordered the head of the Colombo Universities IT department to analyze the data from the seized computers and recover data that had been deleted and present a report regarding the analysis to Court.
An investigation into the two news websites were launched after a complaint was received by the IT division of the CID, on 19 June. The CID informed the court that a computer which had been used to update the website lankaenews.com which is banned in Sri Lanka was also recovered from the office premises in their search.
The CID further noted that a person known as “Abdul Hakeem Sadiq Karriyakar” had been identified as an administrator of the banned website. Presenting the facts the CID added that several websites that were not registered with the government had been accessed through the computers that were seized and that the administration of several websites had been conducted at the premises and that text and imagery that insulted the President and brought disrespect to the government had been also recovered. The CID stated that misinformation which spread hatred and disrespect was also recovered during the search operation.
Eight persons who were arrested at the premises of the office were earlier released on bail. The Court ordered officials to present the progress of the investigations when the case is next taken up on 6 July.
By Ishara Rathnakara
CT