High Court clears Rajitha Senaratne in ’White Van’ controversy

The Colombo High Court has acquitted former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and two others in connection with the controversial 'white van' press conference held in 2019. 

This media briefing, organized by Senaratne in the lead-up to the 2019 Presidential Election, featured two individuals: Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjeewa Madanayake who made explosive claims about alleged abductions, assassinations, robberies, and enforced disappearances said to have occurred during the tenure of then-President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

At the press conference, one of the individuals claimed to have been a “white van” driver responsible for abducting people, while the other alleged he had worked as a driver transporting gold from former LTTE-controlled areas. 

Following the event, Mr. Senaratne was arrested in December 2019 and remanded for his role in organizing the briefing, though he remained under medical care in hospital.

On December 30, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court granted Mr. Senaratne bail. However, the Attorney General filed a revision application on January 8 challenging this decision.

Despite these legal proceedings, the High Court has now cleared Mr. Senaratne and the two individuals of all charges.