ABC Director seeks protection from police arrest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 October 2007, 09:28 GMT]
Director General of the ABC News Network, A. Samantha Rainer Silva, filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court Tuesday seeking protection from being arrested by the police. This petition follows the withdrawal of licence to the ABC news network that resulted in the closure of five radio stations of the ABC network since October 26 Friday, legal sources said.

The petitioner has cited the Inspector General of Police Mr.Victor Perera, Hambantota Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr.D.G. Kulawardene, Southern Region Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr.Jayantha Gamage, Sri Lanka Telecom Regulatory Commission Director General Mr.Kanchana Ratwatte, and Media Minister Mr.Anura Priyadharsana Yapa, Defence Ministry Secretary Mr.Gothabaya Rajapakse and Attorney General as respondents in his suit.

The petitioner states that he has been asked to appear at the police headquarters in Colombo to make a statement in regard to the news item broadcast by news channels of the ABC on October 24 through Media Ministry Secretary and Hambantota ASP in writing. This has created fear in the minds of the petitioner that the police would arrest him once he reports to the police headquarters. Hence the petitioner begs court to issue restraining order on the respondents not to arrest the petitioner and to ensure his fundamental rights, as all citizens are equal under the law of the land.