The two individuals, who made controversial claims about “white vans” during a media briefing called by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne back in early November, have been ordered to be further remanded until January 06.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne delivered the order when the duo was produced before the court this morning (27).

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.

On December 02, the CID presented a submission to the Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne regarding the said media briefing. Considering a request made by the CID, the chief magistrate had ordered several media institutions to submit the unedited video footage from this press conference to the investigators for onward probes.

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

The two suspects were later detained for a period of 72 hours as per an order obtained from an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). On the 16th of December, the duo was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate, who ordered to remand them until today.