The Colombo High Court on Friday acquitted former Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne and two others in connection with the controversial “white van” press conference held in 2019.

The case, which has drawn significant public and political attention, centered on allegations that Dr Senaratne, along with former State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) chairman Dr Rumy Mohamed, orchestrated a media briefing designed to make explosive claims about abductions and forced disappearances during the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The acquittal comes more than a year after Dr Senaratne and Mohamed pleaded not guilty to the charges on September 12, 2022. The allegations stemmed from a press conference in the lead-up to the 2019 Presidential Election, where Senaratne introduced two individuals, Anthony Douglas Fernando and Athula Sanjeewa Madanayake, who made sensational statements implicating the previous regime.

One of the individuals claimed to be a former driver of a “white van” allegedly used in abductions, while the other asserted he had transported a stock of gold from LTTE-held areas. Their statements, widely reported at the time, raised questions about extrajudicial activities and alleged human rights violations under Rajapaksa’s rule.

The controversy led to Dr Senaratne’s arrest in December 2019, following which he was remanded in custody. However, the former Health Minister remained in hospital, citing medical reasons, while the case proceeded.