Yala Fiasco : President orders probe, says Cabinet Spokesperson

COLOMBO (News 1st)- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the security forces to conduct an investigation in an impartial manner in to the recent incident inside the Yala National Park where a fleet of Off-Road vehicles were seen performing doughnut inside the park premises.

Cabinent Spokesperson & Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the President also instructed to penalize those accountable.

Nine people and seven jeeps that were involved in the Yala Fiasco over the weekend, that received widespread condemnation, were produced to the Tissamaharama District Court on Wednesday (26) after they surrendered to the Yala National Park Rangers Office earlier in the day.

The Magistrate ordered for the suspects to be released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/- each.

In the meantime, a three-member Committee was appointed to conduct further investigations on the Wildlife officials who have been temporarily suspended for failing to prevent incident from taking place.

This committee will be chaired by an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resource Conservation.

A total of seven Park Rangers have been interdicted until the investigations are over, and they are charged with dereliction of duty and for their direct or indirect involvement in the incident.

The matter was also raised during Wednesday's (26) cabinet briefing, and Minister Bandula Gunawardena. the Cabinet Spokesperson said that the President instructed the security forces to conduct an investigation in an impartial manner, and to penalize those accountable.

Over 100 of off-road enthusiasts in 33 jeeps entered the Yala National Park on Saturday, 22nd October and performed various manouvers that caused harm to the wildlife.

Several videos of a fleet of vehicles entering the Yala National Park harassing the wildlife went viral on social media, attracting widespread condemnation from netizens.