Ex-SPC chairman arrested over ‘white van’ media briefing

UPDATE (09.36 AM): Former SPC chairman Rumy Mohamed, who surrendered to the CID a short while ago, has been placed under arrest.

Former Chairman of State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) Rumy Mohamed surrendered to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) this morning, the Coordinating Officer of the Attorney General said.

It is reported that Rumy Mohamed was absconding from police over the controversial “white van” press conference held last month.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (30) imposed an overseas travel ban on Rumy Mohamed. In the meantime, former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who was previously remanded but continues to be admitted to the Lanka Hospitals in Narahenpita, was granted bail.

The CID, presenting submissions to the court, said the former SPC chairman was found missing from his home. Rumy Mohamed’s wife, denying any knowledge on his whereabouts, had told the CID officers that her husband left behind his mobile phone along with the car.

Reporting this to the court, the CID sought an overseas travel ban and a warrant to arrest the former SPC chairman as they intend to name him as a suspect in the case pertaining to this “white van” press conference.

However, the court rejected the issuance of an arrest warrant, citing that specific charges have not been filed against him, but imposed a foreign travel ban.

In this background, Rumy Mohamed had surrendered to the CID at around 8.45 a.m. this morning (31).

On the 10th of November this year, Senaratne had called two persons named Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjeewa Madanayake for the said press conference, who made controversial statements and allegations regarding “white vans” and purported incidents of certain abductions, assassinations, robberies and forced disappearances during the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

One of them had claimed that he was a “white van” driver involved in abducting people while the other claimed he once served as a driver to transport a stock of gold in previously LTTE-held areas.

The investigations in this regard were launched after a complaint was lodged by an individual named Kumudu Pradeep Sanjeewa Perera.