President Responsible For Ruwan Weerakone’s Arrest

The defense reporter of ‘Asian Tribune’ and journalist serving in ‘The Nation’ and ‘Bottom Line’ Ruwan Weerakone has been arrested by Terrorist Investigation Division while he was being treated as an indoor patient in a private hospital in Colombo. It has been revealed that he has been arrested to question him regarding connecting two politicians through telephone to Gen. Sarath Fonseka.

 
There is much uproar regarding his arrest at present. The charge against Mr. Ruwan Weerakone is connecting Gen. Sarath Fonseka through telephone to Mr. Johnston Fernando, who was appointed a minister of the Rajapakse government only for a few days and UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Seneviratne.
 
However, Mr. Ruwan Weerakone, through a JP, has produced an affidavit stating he has never connected any politician to Gen. Fonseka. Mr. Weerakone has rejected all accusations against him. In such a situation the Terrorist Investigation Division has, however, arrested Mr. Weerakone. Before arresting Mr. Weerakone the armed officers of the TID surrounded the hospital.
 
The President should take the responsibility of the arrest of Mr. Ruwan Weerakone. For, when the Editor of ‘Lanka Irida’ Chandana Sirimalwatta was arrested and detained, the President had directed that measures should be taken to release him and had ordered that thereafter any journalist should be arrested only on his approval. As Mr. Ruwan Weerakone is a journalist having the media identity card issued by the Government Information Department, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse, the President of the DemocraticSocialist Republic of Sri Lanka should definitely take the responsible for his arrest.