Sri Lanka Police have launched an investigation regarding two secretaries belonging to the personal staff of two Cabinet Ministers.

The inquiry is being carried out with regard to accusations that the two members of ministerial personal staff had attempted to secretly unearth a stock of gold said to have been buried in the Pudukuduirippu area in Mullaitivu District during the war. 

It has been reported that the two individuals in question serve as personal secretaries to the Minister of Public Security and the Minister of Fisheries.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Public Security says that further investigations into the incident have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

A stock of gold said to have been buried in the Pudukuduirippu area by the LTTE during the period of the war, was scheduled to be recovered on November 25 according to a court order. 

However, excavations had been postponed until tomorrow (02) due to Mahaviru Week commemorations in the area over the past couple of days while special police protection had also been provided to the location. 

In the meantime, two individuals identifying themselves as a secretary to the Minister of Public Security and a secretary to the Minister of Fisheries had given a phone call to the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Pudukuduirippu police station in the morning of November 23 and informed him that they would be arriving to meet with him. 

Subsequently they had visited the official residence of the Pudukuduirippu OIC in the evening of the same day and stated that they had obtained a court order for an excavation they have planned and therefore sought his assistance to carry it out in secret before the 25th.

Several days later, the SSP in charge of Mullaitivu division had received information about the visit of the two secretaries and had inquired on that while it is reported that until then the Pudukuduirippu OIC had not notified his higher-ups of the matter. 

Accordingly, an investigation has commenced under the Mullaitivu District ASP to determine whether the Pudukuduirippu OIC had neglected his duties and responsibilities.

The Senior DIG in charge of Northern Province Jagath Palihakkara has reportedly submitted a report to the IGP and the Minister of Public Security regarding the relevant incident. 

Meanwhile the Ministry of Public Security has also issued a statement today regarding the various media reports pertaining to the incident involving a coordinating secretary to the Minister of Public Security.

The Minister has instructed the relevant agencies to carry out a special investigation into those reports and incidents, the statement said.  Further, the minister has immediately suspended the coordinating secretary in question, it said.