May 05, Colombo (LNW): A formal complaint has been submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against Tusitha Halloluwa, a former Executive Director of the National Lotteries Board, in connection with a statement allegedly made by him that is said to have defamed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The accusation, brought forward by Attorney-at-Law Akalanka Ukwatta on the President’s directive, centres around a recent public remark in which Halloluwa is alleged to have invoked the President’s name in a manner deemed misleading and damaging to his reputation.
Halloluwa, who previously served as Director General of Public Relations during former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, is now facing calls for legal scrutiny over the statement and its wider circulation.
The complaint has been filed with the support of President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma, with the complainants requesting an immediate and thorough investigation into both Halloluwa and a group of social media users who helped disseminate the controversial remark online.
According to the President’s Media Division, the move reflects growing concern over the use of digital platforms to spread unverified or potentially defamatory content that could influence public opinion or undermine the credibility of state officials.
The statement in question, though not detailed publicly, is claimed to have crossed a legal threshold by making unsubstantiated claims against the head of state.
Legal representatives involved in the complaint are calling for strong action under existing defamation and cybercrime laws. They argue that deliberate disinformation, particularly when targeted at public figures, poses a threat not only to individual reputations but also to democratic discourse.
