The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is to obtain assistance from field experts to trace the suspects connected to the alleged death threats made against Election Commission (EC) members recently, with the Police Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police and Attorney Nihal Thalduwa noting that investigators have so far observed that the suspects may have used high-tech equipment to cover their tracks.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, Thalduwa noted: “While assistance from experts in the field is being obtained, the suspects could not be identified directly, maybe because they had used high-tech equipment to cover their tracks. If the call was direct, it would not be an issue. They could be found.”
He further said that the EC members have been provided with security. “Police Constables (PCs) with weapons have been assigned to provide protection to their houses,” he said.
Thalduwa also added that the investigators are expecting to receive reports from the Telecommunications Regulation Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) in this regard.
On 29 January, Thalduwa said that the investigation could be delayed due to a member of the EC receiving threatening messages via WhatsApp, as there are international legal requirements to be met to obtain information from the relevant foreign organisation. When queried at a media briefing regarding whether there could be potential inconveniences in carrying out investigations over the death threats to EC members, since the threatening messages had been sent via WhatsApp, he said: “WhatsApp is operated from abroad. Sri Lanka has no ownership. They should be contacted to obtain information. WhatsApp is established under a certain legal basis in a specific country. They are operating according to international laws. Therefore, there could be a delay in obtaining information.”
On 18 January, two members of the EC, namely S.B. Divaratne and K.P.P. Pathirana, had received death threats, demanding that they resign from their posts, following which an investigation was launched by the CID. On 27 January, another member of the EC, M.M. Mohamed, was subjected to similar threats over a phone call. Additionally, Divaratne had received threatening messages via WhatsApp on the same day.