The Ministry of Public Security has issued a clarification, denying that Minister Sarath Weerasekara had ordered to turn around the bus carrying Piumi Hansamali and several others who attended a party at the Shangri-La Hotel last weekend.
Reports had claimed that the bus was turned back by the minister while it was en route to a quarantine centre.
The ministry statement clarified that the minister had only told the Police to allow them to take some clothes, and accordingly, the bus was taken to Thalangama police station to where clothes were brought to them from their homes while they had remained in the bus.
Afterwards, the bus had gone to the quarantine centre in Passara, the statement adds.
The statement in Sinhala, which was issued by the minister's media secretary, is as follows :
(Mirror)