By
SANJAYA

Public Relations Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva’s son, Malaka, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Nawaloka Hospital after being attacked with a sharp instrument, at the Odel clothing store car park, in Town Hall, around 4.15 p.m. on Monday July 29th 2013.

The minister’s son who has been embroiled in many fisticuffs and night club brawls over the years, had been coming out of the restaurant at the ODEL shopping arcade with his foreign girlfriend around 3:15 p.m., when he was attacked. A gang of 12 had pounced on him and, struck him on the head with glass bottles while also attacking him physically.

He had been admitted to the Nawaloka Hospital, Police spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena said adding that the suspects had arrived and had waited for Malaka to return from the shop with his girlfriend. They had tried to abduct him following a heated argument. They had first attacked Malaka in his head and face using bottles of water and shoes.

One of the attackers had grabbed the bottle of water from a security guard at the Car Park and attacked Malaka with it.

The attackers had come in a three-wheeler and a Land Rover Defender, and had fled after the assault.Malaka’s foreign girl friend had not been harmed.

The police is privy to the registration numbers of the three-wheeler and the Land Rover Defender, and all police stations in Colombo and the outstations have been notified accordingly, and are on the look out to apprehend the suspects and the get away vehicles.

The closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) installed at the premises of ODEL had recorded the images of the two vehicles and those involved in the attack. Meanwhile, the Cinnamon Garden Police has recorded statements of the security personnel on duty at ODEL at the time.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers had used a vehicle with false number plate to give the impression that it was a vehicle belonging to VIP security division.

The police emergency unit rushed to the scene after receiving a 119 call from an eyewitness to the incident. According to eyewitnesses Malaka had received several blows to his head.

Several senior police officers arrived at the scene but the miscreants had left by then.

Detectives recorded a statement from one of the eyewitness who is believed to be a security guard of the clothing store. They are also expected to examine the CCTV camera footage as well.

Investigations are continuing under the direction of Senior DIG S.D.S. Gunawardena, who has been assigned by IGP N.K. Illangakoon, in this regard.

Nawaloka Hospital’s Director/General Manager, Prof. Jagath Chandrasena, while confirming that Malaka was admitted, declined to give details of his condition as this edition went to press, citing confidentiality.

He also said there were problems in releasing information as it was in relation to Minister Mervyn Silva’s son, given his hostility towards newspaper reports on him and the family.

There was also a furore outside the hospital with members of the media attempting to seek information about the incident from the victims father Mervyn Silva who arrived at the scene.

. One television cameraman asked the minister, whether he knew who the attackers were, to which an irate minister, piqued by the attack on his son, said: “If I knew who the people were, I would not have come to the hospital to see my son. I would have settled scores with the assailants.”

When asked by journalists about the injuries suffered by his son, the minister responded by saying, ‘Why? Are you a doctor?’

When the minister was asked about the nature and the degree of the seriousness of the injuries, he reply was hostile: “That is not for the media to know.”

Minister Mervyn Silva said 12 men had attempted to abduct his son Malaka this evening and that he was injured during the fracas at the ODEL car park in Town Hall.

“I was at home when my son called me and said 12 unidentified men had assaulted him and that he had fought back. I told him to get himself admitted to hospital and allow the police to carry out their investigations,” he said.

“Police are carrying out investigations. When 12 people assault one person obviously he is bound to get injured. But I am happy that he is in a stable condition. This could have ended up at the mortuary but I am happy he is stable”, he said

The minister said the biggest question is why 12 people should assault him.

When a journalist asked him whether he was was aware that such an incident might happen, he said if he knew he won’t be here talking to the media.

“My brother, sister and brother-in-law were killed by the JVP-UNP. Go to Tissamaharama and ask how many of the murderers are still alive,” the minister said.

Before leaving to ODEL he asked the journalists, ‘Why are you asking me about his wounds”
Minister Silva told Hiru TV that he had no need for the police and he himself would deal with the assailants if they dared come forward.

(COMPILED FROM NEWS REPORTS IN THE “DAILY MIRROR”,”CEYLON TODAY” and”THE ISLAND”)