(Lanka-e-News, -26.April.2011, 11.45PM) Following our subsequent inquiries, it had come to light that our article captioned ‘AG’s order to free two more suspects on the grounds there are no charges against them ignored by Magistrate’, posted in our website on the 19th of April is erroneous.
The news conveying ‘The Pugoda Magistrate had ignored the Attorney General Dept. letter to the Pugoda Magistrate to release two suspects on the grounds that there is no evidence against them, state the wives of the accused’ is not correct.
In the news published ‘the two suspects are police Inspector M S Kalasooriya and constable D Lakshman De Silva who have not been released overriding the AG’s order’, and that part of the news, ‘they have not been released ignoring AG’s advice’ are factually incorrect.
Kalasooriya and Siva have been in remand custody for 8 months, ‘their relatives say’ as related in the news is also erroneous.
The report ,‘the wives of the suspects speaking to Lanka e news said, that they complained to the Judicial service commission (JSC) pertaining to the remanding of their husbands. Thereafter, the JSC had informed in writing that their husbands cannot be held in remand custody any longer’ is also incorrect.
After this misleading article was published and when the true facts became known, under the caption ‘correction of erroneous news ‘on the 21st, and under the headline ‘we ask pardon from court for the erroneous news item’ on the 22nd, our website posted two reports. It was indicated in both those corrections that the Lanka-e-News hoped to publish accurate details on the subject shortly.
If for any reason, the news published by Lanka e news on the 19th has been the basis for any embarrassment, inconvenience, disrespect or dishonor to the Courts in general and the legal sphere ,Pugoda Magistrate court and the Magistrate or the Attorney General’s Dept., we hereby tender our profound apologies unreservedly. We also deeply regret any inconvenience caused to the reading public or for any misleading impression that it might have created in their minds.
Lanka e news also wishes to state herein that it hopes to furnish accurate details on this news before long.
-Chief Editor-