Rocks, faeces thrown at Chamuditha’s house

Karu J condemns incident, Prof. Peiris assures govt. won’t interfere in probe

Hiru anchor Chamuditha Samarawickrema, who also has his own social media channel ‘Truth with Chamuditha’ says that faeces and rocks were thrown at his house in the early hours of yesterday (14).

Samarawickrema, who served as head of the then President’s Media Unit told The Island that four persons who arrived at his house situated in a housing complex at the Gangaramna road, Wawela, Piliyandala, threw bags of faeces and rocks.

Samarawickrema said that they destroyed the glass windows of their master bedroom.

According to Samarawickrema, the gang threatened the security guard at the main entrance and asked him to kneel down at gunpoint.

“One of them stayed with the security guard whereas others walked up to my house and threw rocks and faeces,” Samarawickrema said.

Quoting the security guard, Samarawickrema claimed that the intruders were covering their faces. However, it wouldn’t be too hard to identify the vehicle if the police checked CCTV cameras on either side of the road leading to the housing scheme, he said. Samarawickrema claimed that he and his wife had heard what they believed were gun shots though firing was not directed at their house.

The journalist said that he had received calls from Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and MP Sanjiva Edirimanne, both of the SLPP, condemning the attack.

Several organisations, including Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Media rights organization, Centre for Journalism and Education (CJE) and People’s Responsibility Center condemned the attack. The National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) led by former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, too, strongly condemned the Piliyandala incident.

The attempt to intimidate Samarawickrema was raised by journalists covering the SLPP media briefing yesterday. Responding to media queries, Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, who is also the Chairman of the ruling SLPP, said that the government wouldn’t intervene in investigations into the incident.

Prof. Peiris compared the way yahapalana administration had brazenly interfered with the police and the Attorney General’s Department throughout the 2015-2019 period. Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris said that perhaps as much as 90 percent of the print and electronic media content were anti-government. But, the government had not in anyway interferred with the media, he stressed. (SF)