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Two separate social media posts, both presenting fabricated statements attributed to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, circulated widely on Facebook this week. The first claimed he announced a Presidential Commission to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne over events at the Nandikadal Lagoon during the final days of the war. The second, framed as satire, put words in his mouth about Suresh Sallay’s phone. We investigated both.
Claim 1
Social Media Posts :
A post claimed that Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala had stated that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had decided to appoint a Special Presidential Committee to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne. The alleged investigation concerned the killing of unarmed LTTE leaders at the Nandikadal Lagoon during the final days of the war, individuals who could otherwise have been taken into custody.
We investigated the accuracy of this claim.
Fact-Check :
No official statement from Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, and no mainstream media report, indicates that he announced any decision to appoint a Special Presidential Commission to investigate former Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne over events at the Nandikadal Lagoon.
The Photograph Used in the Post Is from a Different Parliamentary Session
The image used in the post suggested the Minister made this disclosure from the floor of Parliament. While parliamentary records show he has addressed the Easter Sunday terror attack investigations and various corruption inquiries on different occasions, he has made no statement about wartime events at any point.
The photograph was captured on 19 March 2025, when the Minister addressed Parliament on a separate matter. On that date, and on no other occasion, did he make any comments about an investigation into General Kamal Gunaratne.
No Official Announcement from Any Government Body
The Government of Sri Lanka, the Presidential Secretariat, and the Ministry of Public Security have not issued any announcement about the appointment of such a commission or the initiation of any such investigation.
Presidential Media Division
We contacted the Presidential Media Division (PMD) directly to ask whether President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had decided to appoint a Special Presidential Committee to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne. The PMD confirmed clearly that the post is entirely fabricated, that no such decision has been taken by the President, and that Minister Wijepala has issued no such statement.
Media Coordinator of Minister Ananda Wijepala
The Media Coordinator of Minister Ananda Wijepala confirmed the posts are entirely fabricated and that the Minister made no such statement.
There is no active official criminal investigation or Special Presidential Commission targeting former Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne within the country. Separately, certain legal proceedings, international appeals, and political discussions have surrounded his conduct during his military and political tenure. Information on those is available here, here, and here.
Claim 2
Social Media Posts :
A separate post framed as satire circulated, presenting words attributed to Minister Wijepala in Parliament as: “Even though investigators held Sallay’s phone up to his face to unlock it, he closed his eyes every single time; Sallay is offering absolutely no cooperation to the investigation.”
Fact-Check :
On 10 June 2026, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that evidence had been found against former SIS chief Suresh Sallay in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. He also disclosed that Sallay had refused to provide passwords to his smartphones and computers, preventing investigators from accessing them.
Social media users used this statement as the basis for a satirical post, adding the fictional Face ID claim: that Sallay had repeatedly closed his eyes when investigators pointed the phone at his face to unlock it. Our investigation confirmed that the Minister made no such assertion. The Face ID element was invented.
The Real Event That Triggered This Satire
The satire appears to have been triggered by a separate, widely shared story. Former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena was under long-running investigation over an alleged large-scale financial fraud involving the procurement of aircraft from Airbus. After Chandrasena passed away, investigators attempted to access data by using his face to unlock his phone through Face ID technology. The attempt was unsuccessful.
In May 2026, investigators informed the court that they were seeking technical assistance from Apple Inc. to access the phone. This incident circulated widely on social media and appears to be what inspired the satirical post about Sallay closing his eyes.
The Facebook Page Cited in the Posts Did Not Publish This Content
The Facebook page “Never Seen Before” did not publish these posts. The page’s administrator confirmed that the posts were fabricated graphics falsely presented as content from their page.
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Conclusion :
Our investigation confirms that both social media posts are fabricated. Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala made no announcement about a Presidential Commission to investigate General Kamal Gunaratne. The Presidential Media Division confirmed there is no such decision by the President, and the Minister’s own Media Coordinator confirmed no such statement was made.
The second post, though framed as satire, falsely presented an invented Face ID claim as a parliamentary statement by the Minister. The Minister stated in Parliament on 10 June 2026 that Suresh Sallay refused to provide phone passwords to investigators but said nothing about Face ID or closed eyes. The “Never Seen Before” Facebook page confirmed its templates were misused to fabricate both posts.
Title: Two Fabricated Posts Falsely Attribute Statements to Minister Ananda Wijepala; One on Kamal Gunaratne, One on Suresh Sallay
Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali
Result: False
