Garlic fraud at Sathosa has caused a great deal of controversy in the opposition as well as in the media.
Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena had recently requested the IGP to conduct an immediate inquiry into the resignation of the Executive Director of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) over an onion fraud.
He also requested Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to expedite the investigation. Accordingly, the Prime Minister had informed the IGP on the 23rd that the investigation into these allegations should be expedited immediately.
Meanwhile, the CID had gone to the news agencies yesterday (28) to search for the journalists who reported this news. In addition to those journalists, they were also anxious to question the news editors.
The Minister of Mass Media and Information has expressed his deep regret in this regard and requested the Prime Minister not to summon journalists to the CID.
Accordingly, the Prime Minister has instructed the IGP not to involve the media in this incident. Minister Dullas Alahapperuma had said yesterday that he was deeply ashamed of the incident.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera has instructed the IGP today to immediately investigate the CID officers who committed such an act.
The Minister says that it is wrong for the officers of the CID not to act in this regard despite being instructed not to question journalists including news editors.
The Minister also instructed the IGP to hand over the ongoing investigations by the Peliyagoda Special Crime Investigation Unit into the Criminal Investigations Department to the CID.
Shani