Journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara, an active member of the Sri Lanka Young Journalists’ Association and a human rights activist, has received a police message (22) at his residence informing him to appear before the CID’s Computer Crime Investigation Division on the 28th, according to various media reports.
Under Sri Lankan law, anyone other than the president can be summoned for a police investigation. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the law does not allow investigators to obtain information from journalists. Even the courts deal with such cases with special attention. But there are a number of things to consider when summoning journalists. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that he was summoned to a complaint lodged by the Sri Lanka Air Force Intelligence and that the Commander of the Air Force and the intelligence officers are personally responsible for this.
There is a well-established system in which the three forces, as well as the police and their intelligence services, work for national security. Intelligence is leaked through intelligence review boards as well as the Security Council. It ensures the security of the officers or persons who provided the information in any activity that takes place through it. Intelligence must operate in secret. Only then will national security as well as intelligence be protected.
However, there has been a betrayal of the Air Force intelligence in the case of journalist Tharidhu. What is happening here is that the identity of the relevant intelligence officers has to be revealed. In those legal matters. Activities related to national security are carried out through the National Security Council. But it is up to the Security Council to determine if this is a national security issue. All investigations are handed over to the IGP. The IGP will conduct investigations as directed. In that process, legal documents are prepared and necessary legal action is taken. However, it has been reported that the complaint had been lodged by the Air Force outside the National Security Council.
If a complaint has been made in person, the complainant is the Commander of the Air Force. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. He has also lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. A letter has also been sent to the Bar Association.
Also, the full details of the Air Force officer who made the complaint and the complaint will have to be read at the hearing of this complaint. The CID also has to provide a copy of the complaint to journalist Tharindu. Due to this incident, if various cases are filed, the Commander of the Air Force will have to appear directly in court even after his retirement. If he is sued, he too will not be saved. Also, the details of all the intelligence officers who carried out the relevant activities as well as the reports related to the case they have prepared have to be submitted to the court. What happens is that the names of the intelligence officers are revealed and they too become the accused or the accused in the case.
It would be the misfortune of the Air Force itself if the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force and the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force did not know enough about the administration. It is also the misfortune of the people of this country. It would be their own misfortune if the officers responsible for this incident, including the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, acted as if they thought that not a single fly could fly above them. It is also the President who is discredited in these incidents. The President, who is working hard to rebuild the country in the midst of a thousand problems, had to face constant problems. It continued to be reported that all these problems were caused by officials with such an incompetent administration.
Maybe something went wrong here. Otherwise the National Security Council should be at fault. But there is no such mistake at all. Otherwise the police must have given this information in a wrong way. But even that is unbelievable. However, neither the Commander of the Air Force nor the Chief of Intelligence can escape the direct responsibility of protecting Air Force intelligence officers.