Backtracking on its previous position, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has informed BBC journalist Azzam Ameen that it was not necessary for him to come to the CID to give a statement. 

Ameen confirmed that he received a telephone call this morning from the CID on the matter. 

He said the CID also sent a letter confirming the telephone conversation and regretted 'any convenience'. 

It was reported yesterday that the CID summoned the BBC journalist in Colombo as the latter retweeted a 'troll tweet' posted on President Maithripala Sirisena's profile by the twitter account of the President's Media Division. 

The CID's move came under severe criticism from social media circles as they said it was an act of harassment aimed at "shooting the messenger."