Kumarasiri Hettige, a coordinating secretary to the president, has reportedly rebuked a radio journalist over the exposure of an alleged influencing to prevent the transfer of a school principal related to him.
Sameera Manju of Neth FM has recorded the telephone call he had received from the president's top official, and played it in the presence of journalists and media minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa at a media briefing today (June 04).
Minister Yapa has promised there that he would look into the incident today itself.
Mr. Manju has also lodged a complaint with Bambalapitiya police.
It is reported that the journalist had exposed in 'Belumgala', a programme produced by him for his radio channel, about the principal of a school who is allegedly operating from his home at Pitabeddara in Deniyaya, Matara.
After this exposure, the education ministry had conducted an inquiry and given the principal a transfer.
The school principal is a relative of president's coordinating secretary Kumarasiri Hettige, and he is said to have used his powers to get the transfer canceled.
The journalist had raised the matter again through his programme and telephoned the president's official to get a response.
However, Mr. Hettige had refrained from making any comments at that time, but had telephoned Sameera Manju later and rebuked him, it is alleged.
