Police Media Unit shut down

Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekera under fire over remarks to the media

The Ministry of Law and Order has decided to shut down the Police Media Unit and sack its chief and spokesman, ASP Ruwan Gunasekera.

The decision has been made on the advice of the new Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundera. The Police Spokesman has been under fire since his remarks about a controversial incident involving the Ambilipitiya Police in which one young man was killed, resulting in former IGP N. Illangakoon slapping a gag order on ASP Gunasekera, a report by the BBC Sinhala Service said yesterday. 

The closure of the Police Media Unit headed by ASP Gunasekera was prompted by his remarks in an interview to a daily newspaper yesterday, alleging that suspects arrested over the discovery of suicide jackets explosives in Chavakachcheri in March, had escaped to India, BBC Sinhala reported quoting sources.