A complaint has been lodged with the CID seeking an investigation into a false and malicious statement allegedly made by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Kavinda Jayawardena and Prasanna Deshapriya Silva, General Secretary of the SJB affiliated State Media Employees Union at a recent press conference.
The complaint was lodged on Tuesday, December 8, by Lake House Progressive Employees Union (Lake House PEU) President Chandana Bandara and its Secretary Tissa Dhammika.
The complaint alleges that on November 25, 2020, the General Secretary of the State Media Employees Union affiliated to the SJB, Prasanna Deshapriya Silva, at a press conference with the SJB Parliamentarian Kavinda Jayawardena, made a number of malicious statements claiming that “mysterious deaths of journalists will continue after the appointment of the present Government and the President.” This false statement is also being shared on the internet through YouTube and Facebook.
The video instills fear of death in journalists. Such statements can lead journalists to distrust the Government and undermine confidence in the rule of law, the complainants said.
Chandana Bandara said that this raises doubts as to whether the SJB has planned to assassinate or make journalists disappear in the future.