Sri Lankan journalist withdraws fundamental rights petition against police

Arthur Wamanan Sornalingam, a journalist of Sri Lanka's English weekly, The Sunday Leader newspaper, withdrew a fundamental rights petition filed by him against the police over his arrest and detention by the police.
The petitioner claimed that the police arrest following a complaint made by the late Minister Mano Wijerathna violated his human rights. Wamanan was arrested by the Criminal Investigating Department (CID) on October 25, 2007 over a complaint lodged by the late Minister charging him of extortion. The late Minister had alleged that Wamanan had attempted to extort 5 million rupees from him when he was contacted to obtain a comment for a news story regarding the Minister's mobile phone bill which was reportedly paid by the Gems and Jewellery Authority. The late Minister has complained that the journalist had asked money to hold back the news story. Vamanan withdrew his petition as the case against him was terminated and he was acquitted by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate Court following the Minister's death in October last year.