Police Constable 82026 W ASP Kumara, who is on duty at the Gampaha Court Complex, stated today (25) that news websites are not recognized as media in Sri Lanka and social media such as websites and YouTube may not be given the opportunity to report court proceedings.
He stated this when MediaLK went to the Gampaha Court Complex today to cover the case in which Mr. Shani Abeysekera was released.
Police Constable 77925 M R A N Abeyratne stated that journalists should always hang the media ID card around the neck. He also said that people who do not hang media ID around their necks and people who work on the web are not journalists.
MediaLK has complained to Gampaha Acting Divisional Superintendent of Police Mr. Chinthaka Perera regarding these two officers and their scandalous behavior and the Superintendent of Police has given a written notice to the Assistant Superintendent of Police Gampaha to investigate the matter immediately and give a report within two weeks. .
A “Voice TV” journalist who went to the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court on July 28 was treated in the same way by the police and while the journalists of the mainstream media were in the court complex, only that journalist was informed to wait out side the court complex.
Translated from news item published by medialk.com