Viral “Hiru TV security request” letter is fake - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English

Amidst ongoing public discussions and criticism directed at Hiru TV over its alleged misleading reporting of Minister Lal Kantha’s assets declaration, a viral letter has been circulating on social media. The letter claims to be issued by Hiru TV, requesting security for the institution and its employees, suggesting that the media organization is facing public unrest. This is a fact check conducted to verify that claim.

Social Media Posts :

A letter circulating widely on social media claims to be a request for police protection for Hiru TV, addressed to the Inspector General of Police. The letter, titled “Regarding the request for police security for Hiru Media Institution,” also appears to use the official letter format of the Hiru Media Network.

This letter claims to have been sent on the 19th by the Deputy News Director of Hiru TV, Tharanga Jayakodi. It further states the following:

According to the circulating letter, employees of Hiru TV, ranging from reporters to executive-level staff, are allegedly facing continuous death threats. It further claims that the institution has received information about possible future attacks. The letter links these alleged threats to recent news reports published by Hiru TV, including coverage of Minister Lal Kantha’s assets declaration and a statement made by an HSBC Bank executive regarding the price of a barrel of crude oil.

It is further stated in the letter that, in order to protect the freedom of the press in the country, a request has been made to the Inspector General of Police to provide immediate security to the institution and its employees, who are allegedly receiving death threats.

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The letter is shown below.

Meanwhile, a video has also been circulating on the YouTube channel Sudaa Studio, with a thumbnail stating “Death threats to Hiru, police security requested.”

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In the video published on the said Sudaa Studio channel, Sudath Thilakasiri states that he is uncertain about the authenticity of the letter. However, he adds that he is expressing his views based on the assumption that the letter could be true.

Nevertheless, as this video and the related social media posts are widely circulated and a considerable number of people appear to believe the claim is genuine, we decided to verify the accuracy of this claim.

Fact Check :

Upon our observation, we could not find any reports in mainstream media or on any verified social media accounts claiming that a request for security was made for Hiru TV or its employees. As a result, we contacted the relevant parties for further clarification.

ABC Media Network

During inquiries made with senior management, it was clarified that neither Hiru TV nor its media network has requested police protection for the institution or its employees from the Inspector General of Police, either in written or verbal form. It was further revealed that the official letterhead of “ABC Media Network” has been misused and the document circulating on social media is a fabricated letter designed to resemble an official communication. In addition, a signed statement confirming the inaccuracy of this letter was provided to us by the Deputy News Director of Hiru TV, Tharanga Jayakodi.

Deputy Inspector General of the Central Province

We contacted the Deputy Inspector General of the Central Province Criminal Investigation Division, Rohan Dias, for clarification on this matter. He stated that if such a letter had been received, the relevant police station officers would have been informed and necessary action would have been taken accordingly. He further noted that the Police Headquarters receives tens of thousands of letters daily, both in physical and electronic form, which are reviewed before appropriate action is taken. However, he confirmed that there is no information to suggest that any such letter has been received so far.

Police Media Spokesperson

We further contacted the Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Attorney-at-Law) Fredrick Udaya Kumara Wootler, for additional confirmation.He stated that the Police Media Division has not received any report indicating that a letter requesting security was submitted by Hiru TV. He further noted that if such a letter had been received, it would have been officially recorded and reported.

Accordingly, it is clear that the letter in question is a fabricated document.

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Conclusion

Our investigation shows that the letter titled “Regarding the request for police security for Hiru Media Institution,” which has been circulating on social media and claims that a request was made to the Inspector General of Police for security for Hiru TV, is a fabricated document.

Authorities, including the Deputy Inspector General of the Central Province, the Police Media Spokesperson, and the ABC Media Network, have confirmed that no such letter has been received.