Sunday Leader Editor Sues Media Minister For 50 Million
- Government Launches Slander Campaign
- Publisher and Editor of Island newspaper also to be sued
Lawyers for the Editor of The Sunday Leader Frederica Jansz on Friday sent a letter demanding 50 million rupees in damages to the Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for defamatory remarks made against her after the weekly post cabinet news conference on Thursday.
The publisher and the Editor of The Island newspaper were also sent similar letters of demand for publishing the minister’s allegations. The Island newspaper was the only media outlet in the country to report Rambukwella’s remarks.
The Island newspaper on Friday reported that “the government yesterday alleged that The Sunday Leader editor Frederica Jansz was critical of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa since he had prevented her from obtaining a diplomatic posting abroad, through the good offices of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing in Colombo, said that Frederica had met President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees recently, in the company of Gamini Abeyratne alias Taxi Abey and requested that she be posted abroad as a diplomat.
“The Defence Secretary on hearing of the meeting had objected to any favours being granted to Frederica,” Minister Rambukwella said.
The newspaper quotes the Minister as saying The Sunday Leader Editor’s allegations that Gothabaya Rajapaksa used foul language “may be due to malice on her part.”
The Minister, while confirming the remarks, contradicted The Island report saying he did not make the remarks at the post cabinet media briefing. “One of those guys asked me just after the briefing,” he told The Sunday Leader on Friday night.
Jansz, flatly denying that she ever asked for a personal favour from any politician, leave alone President Mahinda Rajapaksa, confirmed that she did meet the President on three occasions. In all three times there was at least one other person present.
The meeting where she is alleged to have asked for a job took place on May 06 last year after the former Deputy Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services from 2001-2004 in the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, Gamini Abeyratne conveyed an invitation saying “the President would like to meet you.”
Both Gamini Abeyratne and Treasury Secretary P. B. Jayasundera were present at the meeting. “It was a general chat. We discussed the white flag story and he referred to the financial issues at The Sunday Leader,” she said.
Three days after the meeting Frederica Jansz wrote to the President stressing that there should be no misunderstanding on his part that she had asked for any favours. “Thank you for your time but I never have and never will seek political favours. Our troubles at The Sunday Leader are for Lal (Wickremetunge, the publisher) and me to address and resolve.” She said in the letter.
However two days after The Sunday Leader published the outburst by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Gamini Abeyratne, now a Director at Mihin Lanka and a close confidant of the President phoned Jansz and said that Chairman of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Hudson Samarasinghe has asked for confirmation that he had taken Jansz to meet the President. Abeyratne says he refused and cut off the phone call.
Dr. P.B. Jayasundara was not contactable.
The uneducated uncultured rascals are digging a deeper hole as usual?
Any intelligent person wil realise that asking for any favors from the MR regime is the last thing Fredrika would do! Just shows how much the Media Minister credits the people of SL with any brains!
What is 50Million for this SOB. Petty cash now. He will pay 25M out of his pocket and settle it
Oh brave lady never never….,have courage, dont go after dirty politicians.you pretty lady keep your backbone very straight until you die.
gud luck
After reading about this ridiculous story the uneducated uncultured rascals have concocted can you disagree with Chandrikas discription?
Keliya Neda Keheliyata Pacha Kelinne Gihilla, Dan Gevapan Nathnam Fred. ta Vandapan Pachaya.
Its a Ring around a Mulberry Bush and Gotha goes insane with his actions. Even when he speaks the actions of his hands are a study of madness, inborn, and his one utterance “Kill”Kill or in a sqicky voice” ‘We will hang him” potrays the unstabe mind of this incompetent , egostic idiot.
uvidu,you must expose. crook janitha seneviratnas case.. iwork for mawbima. now janitha was interdicted for big fraud,, 4 m. this crook built i supar house in kadawatha.. 2 motor vec. last monthhe went to francwith entire hadall the details. fedraca is not the culprit,, this janithascase is never expose. why. if you want more details pl contact mawbima
No one is safe under this Rajapakse government. Even judges are under threat of killing. Abduction of, threatening and killing journalists and human rights activists are culture nurtured by the government and its appointees. Unless those in influence stand up and be counted the authoritarianism will have no bounds.
When the law is manipulated by this government how could Sunday Leader wins the case gainst Media Minister.? We are living in a country where the law is in the hands of the ruling family. I have never seen this before in my life.
Don’t worry Mr Rabukwella will send the money on a gold platter . The delay is he can not make up the desing on the platter.
The thugs will not live by the law, neither rule the country by the law. We all know that the Sunday Leader editor Frederica Jansz is not a thug, and she won’t be joining with the thugs. The “diplomatic post” scandel was created by the thugs to undermine the editor. Only in Sri Lanka thugs can become President, ministers and diplomats. I am sure the people of Sri Lanka will rise up and remove these thugs, and liberate the country in due time.
Well if there are grounds and proven, this politician has to face the music too. When his ministerial (goverment politicians)cloak is removed, He is nothing but a well known Opportunist not someone with integrity.
Very good move by the Sundy Leader. Being the Media Minister he should be sure of his facts before mouthing them. Accountability is a primary responsibility of good governance.
This time, Rambukwella has opened his mouth wide and put his both feet in.
He should be made to pay for this gross insult to a brave journalist.
Dear Fredrica, people in Sri Lanka should Thank you for speaking on thier behalf by exposing facts of misuse of power by any political apointee. I live in our country with admirable justice where corrupt politicions and the corrupt public are named & shamed.I admire your newspaper for exposing bad activities in that Good Island.
I also admire the action taken by G.R to clean up the country from illegal slums to make it better living for everyone as I lived in Colombo 7 with illegal tea koisk outside closer to B.M.I.C.H.
Frederica keep up the Good work as my Great British Managing Director says but take Good care with the help of overseas friends.
the president is supreme ,dont mess with him,,,,Any way wo f.. is fredrikaaa..