Why are the Police hiding?

Police have been getting flak in the past few days for their failure to control the situation in Digana, Theldeniya and surrounding areas.

Two days after the incidents, journalists were hoping that a police officer would be present at the post-cabinet news conference on Wednesday to brief them about the current situation. But they did not find anybody.

Again on the same day evening, Presidential Secretary Austin Fernando presided over a news conference to brief journalists regarding the state of emergency regulations and about the implementation, but again no representative from the Police Department.

In contrast, Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne, PC, Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy, Navy commander Vice Admiral S. S. Ranasinghe and a senior officer from the Army were present.

Journalists raised several questions regarding the security situation and the arrest of suspects, among other matters, and needless to say the panel was not fully informed to answer.

In a desperate attempt, Additional Solicitor General, Yasantha Kodagoda offering to help tried to call a Police officer, but was not successful.

“We have the same problem, as you just experienced,” a journalist quipped.