IGP trying to muzzle media; on trail ofthe
Police Chief N.K. Ilangakoon has let loose the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the Sunday Times to track down sources and the identity of a police officer.
He wants this newspaper to reveal the source and the identity of an ASP, who figured in the political commentary six months ago or on January 18. The relevant part said "…….the Sunday Times can reveal today how telephone records of prominent opposition politicians, media personnel, former UPFA Government's own ministers, 'unfriendly'Military, Police officers, Colombo-based diplomats and other leading citizens were monitored blatantly violating the law. In terms of the law, a Court order has to be obtained by the Police before intercepting or tampering with the telephone records of subscribers. All mobile phone operators were issued written instructions by an official in the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. They were directed to make available the monthly telephone bills of these persons to an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) for reasons of 'national security.'
"Every month, Police officers would visit different mobile phone providers to collect these monthly bills. Thereafter, the ASP would supervise a team of Police officers examine every bill to determine to whom their targets speak. Under the cover of 'national security' the telephone bills were systematically analysed and a report prepared for scrutiny by the higher ups. The identification of those who are supporters of the present Government led to surveil- lance being mounted on them. There have been instances when some have even been threatened……"
It is ironical that the Police Chief of Sri Lanka would have to ask the Sunday Times for details about a division that comes directly under his own purview. A detective who claimed to be acting on the Police Chief's directions said he (the IGP) had received an anonymous petition and that was why the probe was being conducted.
Firstly, if that claim is correct, Police Chief Ilangakoon had waited for more than six months to act on the matter. It is no secret that he receives hundreds of anonymous petitions. Yet, he thought it fit to question the media about their sources and the identity of one of his own officers after hand picking one such petition. Surely he cannot be unaware? Or is he ignorant? On the other hand, if the claim is only a pretense, it is a forewarning to the media that they could face visits from the CID every time a story about a division under the IGP appears and someone sends an "anonymous petition." Are such "petitions" a new tool to intimidate or silence the media? Evidently Police Chief Ilangakoon does not believe or refuses to believe that President Sirisena, since being elected on January 8, has removed all the fetters on the media. True, even he became exasperated with the criticism he faced recently over his vacillation on the Mahinda Rajapaksa nomination issue and at one point publicly asking for the media