Did President Anura Travel to Kandy Using Two Helicopters?

දිනපතා සත්‍ය කරුණු දැන ගැනීමට අපගේ WhatsApp චැනලයටමෙතනින් එකතුවන්න.

The release of unverified information on social media can mislead the public and, in certain instances, damage the reputation of recognized public figures. A post currently circulating on social media regarding President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to Kandy was examined through a fact-checking investigation conducted by us.

Social Media Posts :

A post questioning, “Why did President Anura Kumara use two helicopters to travel to Kandy?” was shared in relation to the President’s visit to Kandy on February 6. The post included a photograph of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake along with an image of two helicopters, claiming that these were used for his journey.

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Several similar posts were also shared subsequently, implying that the President had used two helicopters for the visit.

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While some social media users appeared to accept these claims as factual and expressed their views accordingly, others questioned the authenticity of the information.

In view of these conflicting claims, steps were taken to verify their accuracy.

Fact Check :

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Media Division, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake departed for Kandy on February 6 to provide compensation to those affected by the recent cyclone, Ditwah and to commence several development projects. It was reported in this way.

The social media posts claiming that two helicopters were used for the Kandy visit began circulating in a context where reports had previously emerged on many social media websites, including photographs, stating that the President had used a helicopter during a visit to Jaffna in January.

Media Reports and Parliamentary Statements

As a first step, mainstream media coverage of the President’s Kandy visit on February 6 was reviewed. All leading electronic media reported on the visit, including video footage as here, here and here. However, none of these reports contained any information or visuals indicating that the President had travelled to Kandy by air.

Nevertheless, statements made in Parliament on the same day by opposition MPs Hector Appuhamy and Chamara Sampath, alleging that the President had travelled to Kandy using two helicopters, were reported by several media outlets like this and this . Despite these statements, no recognised media reported that the President had travelled to Kandy by helicopter.

මහනුවර ජනාධිපති මන්දිරයට හෙලිකොප්ටර් ගොඩබෑමේ පෙරහුරුවක් පැවති බවට මාධ්‍ය වාර්තා

Reports of a Helicopter Landing Rehearsal at Presidential Residence in Kandy

Meanwhile, dailymirror.lk reported that a special rehearsal had been conducted on January 5 to assess whether helicopters could land on the grounds behind the Presidential Residence in Kandy. However, the report did not confirm that the President would arrive in Kandy by air. It further noted that the only president who had previously landed a helicopter at that location was former Executive President J.R. Jayewardene.

Therefore, it was decided to seek further clarification on this from relevant authorities.

Air Force Spokesperson

When contacted, Air Force Media Spokesperson Group Captain Nalin Wewakumbura confirmed that the President did not use helicopters for the Kandy visit.

In response to inquiries regarding reports of a rehearsal conducted near the Kandy Presidential Residence prior to the visit, the spokesperson stated that a training exercise had indeed taken place and that such exercises are normally conducted.

Kandy Police

The Officer in Charge of the Kandy Police Station also confirmed that the President had arrived in Kandy by road using an official vehicle and not by helicopter

Local Reporters

Several regional reporters in Kandy were contacted regarding the February 6 visit. All confirmed that the President travelled to Kandy via the main road.

However, they also stated that two helicopters had been engaged in a training exercise near the Kandy Presidential Residence on the day prior to the visit.

Presidential Media Division

The Presidential Media Division stated that there is no truth to the claims suggesting that helicopters were used for the President’s visit to Kandy. It was confirmed that the President travelled to Kandy by road, using the expressway and passing through Kurunegala in the usual manner, to attend several official programmes.

Image Used in Social Media Posts

The photograph of the two helicopters used in the social media posts was subjected to a reverse image search. The image was found to have been taken from a 2012 video showing two Black Hawk helicopters flying together during an air show conducted by the Rhode Island National Guard in the United States.

In addition, similar claims had previously circulated alleging that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake travelled to Kandy by helicopter after assuming office in September 2024. A separate fact-checking report had been conducted on that occasion as well.

ජනපති අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක දළදා වදින්න ගිය විදිය ?

Also Read: ජනපති අනුර හෙලිකොප්ටර් යානා 2ක් භාවිත කරමින් ක්‍රීඩාංගණයකට පැමිණි අවස්ථාවක්?

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Conclusion :

Our investigation confirms that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake did not use helicopters for his recent visit to Kandy and that the journey was made by official vehicle from Colombo. This was confirmed by the Sri Lanka Air Force, the Police, regional correspondents, and the Presidential Media Division.

Although a helicopter training exercise had taken place near the Kandy Presidential Residence prior to the visit, there is no evidence to support the claim that the President travelled to Kandy by air. It is likely that the circulating posts were created based on this rehearsal.