Wimal slams police for 'distorted' statement on Seenimodara case

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa has issued a statement criticising the police for releasing what he claims is a "completely distorted" version of the statement he provided to the Tangalle Police regarding the Seenimodara drug operation.

He asserted that this act "is not befitting a law-abiding police force, but rather a smear campaign unit of a government," and suggested that the police have compromised their independence by attempting to manipulate the narrative.

excerpts from the full statement:

"Regarding the distortion and release to the media of the statement I provided to the Tangalle Divisional Crime Investigation Office:

Following the notification to appear and provide a statement regarding the information I disclosed at a media briefing concerning the recently arrested individual known as Beliatta Sana or Puwakdandawe Sana, I visited the relevant office yesterday (October 9) and provided my full statement with all the details.

The police today released only a few segments of the complete statement I provided to the relevant office, which took nearly three hours to record.

The portions extracted from my complete statement have been deliberately amended by the police before being released to the media. The fact that the police are publishing these amendments as they deem fit raises the suspicion of whether the police are attempting to hide the truth about Puwakdandawe Sana and his political connections from society.

Instead of investigating the statement given to the police regarding a subject of public discourse and finding the truth, the police are questioning their own independence by amending and publicising the statement as they wish.

The statement released by the police to the media is a completely distorted statement, and it must be said that it is not an action befitting a law-abiding police force, but rather an action befitting a smear campaign unit of a government."