The man, who obstructed the duties of police officers during the motorcade provided for Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe, has been arrested.

The Chinese Defence Minister arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday night (April 27) for a two-day official visit. While the motorcade which set off from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake was pasing through the Borella Junction, the man in question had obstructed the police officers on duty.

Borella Police later initiated investigations based on a video clip of the incident that was circulated in social media, he added.

Accordingly, the suspect was taken into custody yesterday (April 29) and he is expected to be produced before Colombo Magistrate’s Court today, under the provisions of Penal Code on charges of obstruction of the duties of police officers and unlawful assembly.

The arrestee is reportedly a 31-year-old who was residing in Pelawatte area in Battaramulla.

Speaking further, the police spokesperson stressed that the Chinese Defence Minister is a diplomat from one of the superpowers of the world and that Sri Lanka, in terms of the Vienna Convention, must provide maximum security for such envoys during their visits to the island.

Accordingly, the vehicular movement was restricted on that particular night in a bid to tighten the security, he explained.