Questioning of intelligence officers ‘in camera’ in future

■State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayewardene to BE QUIZZED ‘in camera’

■no media will be allowed to report same or obtain any photograph of such officers

By Sujith Hewajulige

  
The Parliamentary Special Committee (PSC) that probes the Easter Sunday attack has decided to conduct inquiries from intelligence officers in camera in future.   

A member of the committee said that accordingly, inquiries from the Chief of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayewardene would be conducted in camera when he appears before the PSC on July 24.   

The committee member further  said that a programme has been prepared to obtain evidence from intelligence officers and no media would be allowed to report same or obtain any photograph of such officers. Various allegations were leveled against the summoning of intelligence officers before the PSC in the recent past. Some people expressed their opinion that the obtaining of information from intelligence officers in public has posed a threat to national security.   

In addition to the State Intelligence Officers, Senior DIG of Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Ravi Seneviratne, CID Director Senior SP Shani Abeysekera, the Director of the Police Terrorist Investigations Division(TID) Senior SP Waruna Jayasundara and a police inspector of the TID Tharanga Pathirana are scheduled to appear before the PSC on July 24.   
The official said that except for these police intelligence officers all the other police officers would be questioned in the presence of the media by the PSC.