Youth arrested for circulating fake news on cyberattack

A youth was arrested on Monday (June 07) for publishing and circulating misleading news concerning a cyberattack on the official websites of Presidential Secretariat, Foreign Affairs Ministry and several other public institutions.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said the suspect, self-proclaimed president of an organization called Information Technology Society of Sri Lanka (ITSSL), was taken into custody as a result of the probes carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the incident.

The relevant press release published by the arrestee on June 04, claimed that the authorities had failed to take necessary action on the forewarnings his organization had issued before on such cyberattacks.

The youth, identified as Rajeev Yasiru Kuruwitage Mathew, was set to be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (June 08).

The Police Headquarters urged the members of public not be deceived by such fake news and to refrain from circulating them on social media.