CID commences inquiry into alleged plot to kill President

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 December 2002, 18:20 GMT]
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Wednesday launched a full probe into a news report carried by a Sinhala weekly that a leading politician of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the main opposition People’s Alliance is behind a plot to assassinate President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, legal sources said.

The CID Wednesday ordered the Editor of a weekly newspaper to appear Friday at the police station to make a statement regarding the news item, sources said.

A Sinhala weekly carried a news report earlier this week that a leading politician of the SLFP is behind an assassination plot against the country's executive President. The leader of the Opposition Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse made an urgent request to the Police to inquire into the newspaper report and to arrest the culprit behind such plot.

Meanwhile the central working committee of the SLFP is now in session Wednesday night at Presidential Secretariat discussing the controversial news item and the alleged attempt on her life by her own party men, sources said.