Youth arrested over fake news on cyber attack remanded
June 8, 2021 09:02 pm
The youth who was arrested over fake news regarding a cyber attack on government institutions has been remanded until tomorrow (June 09).
When the arrestee was produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya earlier today, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told the court that he maintains an unregistered website and a social media page under the name ‘Information Technology Society of Sri Lanka’ (ITSSL).
The self-proclaimed president of the aforesaid society, on June 04, had circulated a press release claiming that several government institutions including the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have come under a cyber attack.
In his press release, he claimed the authorities had failed to take necessary action on the forewarnings his organization had issued before on such cyber attacks.
The misleading press release posted by the suspect has caused detriment to the national security as well as the economy, the CID stressed.
The suspect, identified as Rajeev Yasiru Kuruwitage Mathew, was taken into custody on Monday (June 07).
