Mervyns' remarks under investigation: Police

25 March 2012 01:36 pm

The Police said that contents of the statement made by Minister of Public Relations Mervyn Silva are being investigated.The controversial Minister earlier this week threatened to “tear the limbs of journalists’ who he termed as traitors. He also specifically stated that he was responsible in “chasing away journalist PoddalaJayanatha out of the country”

 Speaking to the Daily Mirror Police spokesman AjithRohana said that the comments are being investigated by the Police. “There are four diverse factors that have to be investigated when a statement of this nature is made as the motive of the statement is unclear” he said.

 The four factors as detailed by the Police in verifying statements of this nature, are to check if the person making the statement is mentally unstable, or was the statement made due to the fact that he in fact committed the act, or was the statement made to save another person, or to gain publicity by making such remarks.

 The Police spokesman further said that the journalist that Minister Silva referred to was assaulted in Athurugiriya a few years ago. “ The Journalist was assaulted a few years ago in Athurugiriya, we have to collect facts with regard to the assault and this is being done” he said.

 The Spokesman also said that there was no request to investigate the remarks made by the Minister. “We were not told to investigate this statement but the Police as initiate an investigation by itself on the contents of the statement” he said. (By Supun Dias and Hafeel Farisz)