Five arrested for abusing the President online

2026-02-18 - 15:46

Police say that five individuals have been arrested following investigations into a video circulated online in which abusive language was used against the President, allegedly in connection with a seatbelt-related incident, while also obstructing police officers in the discharge of their duties. Those arrested include a 33-year-old bus driver from Wellawaya and four residents of Katana. The Leyland bus in which the suspects were travelling has also been taken into police custody. The vehicle is due to be produced before a motor vehicle examiner in connection with a number of offences, including the unsafe installation of a metal grill that obstructs the front windscreen. Disciplinary action has also been taken against police officers over the failure to enforce the law at the time of the incident. Accordingly, the Chief Inspector who was serving as the Officer-in-Charge at the Mattala Interchange has been transferred to Police Headquarters, while a police sergeant and a constable have been transferred to the expressway police posts at Kadawatha and Kottawa, respectively. The incident occurred on the 16th, when a group travelling from Negombo to Kataragama on a pilgrimage in a Leyland bus arrived at the Mattala Interchange while returning to Negombo. As police officers attempted to enforce the law after stating that passengers were not wearing seatbelts, several individuals alighted from the bus, verbally abused the officers, recorded videos using mobile phones, including footage inside other vehicles, and used abusive language against both the police officers and the President. The videos were subsequently uploaded to the internet.