Another shameless police cover up

By Shyamajith Fonseka

Police media spokesman, Ranjith Gunasekara said that under Section 1995/14 of the Evidence Ordinance video filming or taking photographs pertaining to court cases will in the future be prohibited. He emphasized that the Evidence Ordinance will be enacted to the full. This he said was in fairness to the parties concerned in court cases.
He made this statement with reference to the obstructions made by police to media personnel of a private television channel, who attempted to film an accident involving a vehicle owned by Minister P. Chandrasekaran. The incident had taken place in Dehiowita last week.

Fatal injuries

A three-wheeler driver died due to fatal injuries caused by the accident. The three-wheeler had collided head on with the minister’s luxury jeep. It is alleged that the jeep was traveling from Hatton to Colombo at high speed when it suddenly collided head on with the three wheeler near the Dehiowita junction. Meanwhile, security personnel and police officers had not permitted media correspondents to cover this incident. Media correspondents claimed that police officers did not allow them to take even a single picture of the incident. Meanwhile, Avissawella OIC, N. Attanayake had refused to give any information about the matter to the media saying he had already sent the case to the police headquarters.

Photographic evidence

However, IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne in his first press conference after assuming duties emphasized that photographic evidence would help police in the investigation of crimes and that the public could even use their mobile phones to take pictures of such incidents. In sharp contrast, the police media spokesman is contradicting the IGP’s comments.
However, this gives rise to serious doubts regarding criminal incidents because media coverage and video images would definitely highlight evidence and expose the culprits. The new rule, the media feels would be a direct bid to let off culprits involved in a crime. The media contend that even with so much of media exposure so many incidents have been swept under the carpet, and with the SSP’s new ruling it might just help thugs and nefarious elements to escape scot free.
Speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said “there is nothing to hide; we have already arrested the driver. There is no need to sweep the case under the carpet --that is pointless”.
He also added, “apparently the media has no legal right to televise or take pictures of criminal incidents. This is illegal under the Section 1995/14 of the Evidence Act.” He emphasized that publicising such incidents would jeorpadise cases and influence judges and the jury one way or the other. Meanwhile, he said, any person is free to take photographs of incidents with their mobile phones but it is an offence if they are given to the media for publication. All unedited versions of the pictures and video clips should be handed over to the police so that it would enable them to deal with the crime. He further added: “We are planning to hold a special conference to educate the local media regarding the implementation of the Evidence Ordinance”.

Expressed displeasure

Meanwhile, five media organisations have expressed their displeasure over the police media spokesman’s statement regarding video-filming and capturing pictures of incidents that may lead to court cases. Media organisations were of the view that the Police media spokesman’s stance was a blatant violation of the people’s right to information, and that under these circumstances no incident could be photographed or video-filmed since it could lead to a court case in the future.
The five media organisations, Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Media Employees Trade Union Federation, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists’ Association and Free Media Movement requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Minister of Defense and the Attorney General to clarify the government’s policy in this regard.
Speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS, President of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Sanath Balasuriya said, “This attempt is to cover up the failure of the police to deal with cases or to find the culprits. However, we are not aware of this new rule. All I can say is that this law is really unfair as far as media organisations are concerned. This is a means of preventing the public from knowing what really happened during an incident. The implementation of an obsolete section of the Evidence Ordinance is another joke perpetrated by the police. We are totally against this new rule”.