Mervin refuses charges against him

Minister Mervyn Silva said that he did not forcibly remove the camera of the Sirasa TV crew at the opening of the second installment of the Kelaniya flyover held yesterday. "I'm not a cameraman, so I do not need cameras", Minister said.

According to the available information amidst the continuing controversy over his treatment of the media in an outrageous manner, Minister Mervyn Silva, yesterday, verbally abused the Sirasa TV cameramen for covering the opening ceremony of the second half of the Kelaniya flyover bridge, and took their cameras by force.

Two cameramen attached to the Sirasa TV channel, who attended the event last morning at the invitation of the Ministry of Highways to cover the opening of the second half of the Jeyaraj Fernandopulle Flyover Bridge in Kelaniya, were subjected to harassment by Mr. Silva and his bodyguards, Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara said.

The minister is reported to have verbally abused this particular television crew and ordered his bodyguards to chase them away from the scene.

The television crew had later lodged a complaint with the police that two of their cameras had been forcibly removed.

The police had started an immediate inquiry into the complaint and recovered the two stolen cameras. The tapes had not been returned by the goons who robbed them, SSP Gunasekara said.

He said the two cameras were undamaged and would be handed over to the owners through court when the case is taken up.

This is the second time Mr. Silva has harassed this particular television channel crew. They had also been harassed when they went to cover the opening of the first half of the flyover bridge several weeks ago.One of the cameramen had been hospitalised for treatment for assault.