By: Ovindi Vishmika

March 19, Colombo (LNW): MP (Dr) Archchuna Ramanathan has been served a legal notice demanding LKR 500 million in damages over alleged defamatory statements made on Facebook.

Attorney-at-Law Balachandra Thinesh issued a formal letter of demand on behalf of his client, Mr. Ratnam Sriharan, a 59-year-old German citizen and philanthropist, accusing Hon. (Dr) Archchuna Ramanathan and H.B. Samarakoon of publishing defamatory statements on Facebook.

The controversy stems from allegations made on February 12, 2025, where the accused reportedly linked Mr. Sriharan to criminal activities and financial misconduct.

The defamatory posts also included private family photographs, which allegedly subjected Mr. Sriharan’s wife and daughter to emotional distress and public humiliation.

It further revealed that these claims have severely damaged Mr. Sriharan’s reputation within the Tamil-speaking community and tarnished his professional standing.

Dr. Ramanathan’s time in Parliament has not been without its challenges. He even has faced warnings from the Speaker of Parliament regarding alleged inappropriate remarks and social media activities that have been deemed disruptive. His actions have sparked debates about responsible communication by public figures, and he now faces legal and parliamentary scrutiny.

However, the legal demand calls for the immediate removal of the defamatory content, a public written apology, and a formal undertaking to refrain from further false statements. Failure to comply within 14 days will result in defamation proceedings.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon until tomorrow (20).

Tennakoon had been in hiding for 20 days despite an arrest warrant issued in connection with the shooting incident at the W15 Hotel in Weligama. He surrendered to the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19) before being remanded.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has surrendered to the Matara Magistrate’s Court earlier today, following a court order for his arrest in connection with the shooting incident at the W15 Hotel in Weligama on February 27.

Despite the court’s directive for his arrest, the police had been unable to apprehend Mr. Tennakoon until now. The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously ordered the arrest and production of a group of suspects, including Tennakoon, in relation to the shooting incident. The investigation continues.

The Aswasuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme, which has been in effect since July 1, 2023, has undergone amendments as per Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 2415/66, dated December 21, 2024.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, to revise the benefits under the schemein line with the budget allocations for 2025.

The key amendments include:

• Extending benefit entitlements for the transitional social category (Schedule I) until April 30, 2025.
• Increasing monthly assistance payments from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 10,000 for persons with disabilities and those receiving treatment for kidney diseases, and from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 for elderly persons (Schedule II), with implementation from April 2025.
• Extending payments for disabled persons, kidney patients, and elderly individuals (Schedule II) until December 31, 2025, under the revised scheme.
• Halting allowances under the transitional social category after April 2025, while continuing payments for disabled persons, kidney patients, and elderly individuals from these families until December 31, 2025.
• Accepting new applications for disabled and kidney patients, subject to a maximum limit, with payments valid until December 31, 2025.

These amendments aim to enhance social welfare while ensuring effective financial management within the allocated 2025 budget.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged to take necessary steps to eliminate organized crime and drug abuse while introducing new legislation to strengthen law enforcement.

The President made these remarks during a discussion held yesterday (18) at the Presidential Secretariat with police chiefs of the Western Province.

He emphasized that maintaining the rule of law is a primary responsibility of the Police Department and stated that a just society cannot be established in Sri Lanka without ensuring the supremacy of the rule of law.

Among those present at the discussion were Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, and several Western Province police chiefs.

The misappropriation of government-allocated fertilizer subsidy funds meant for farmers has been exposed, with some recipients yet to receive their payments, State Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratne revealed yesterday.

Speaking in Parliament, in response to a question raised by MP Susanta Kumara Navaratne, the State Minister disclosed that Rs. 2,934,310 allocated to 155 farmers in the Anuradhapura District had been misappropriated.

He further stated that a female official has already been taken into custody in connection with the incident.

Additionally, complaints have been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding the disappearance of fertilizer subsidy funds, and further investigations are ongoing, the State Minister confirmed.

Sri Lanka’s economy recorded an impressive turnaround, achieving 5% growth in 2024, supported by renewed macroeconomic stability, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

The Census and Statistics Department reported that the country’s economy grew by 5.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024, surpassing earlier projections.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had previously forecast 4.5% growth for Sri Lanka in 2024, but the actual figures exceeded expectations.

Key sectoral growth figures include:

• Agriculture: Expanded by 8.3% compared to the previous year.
• Industry: Recorded a substantial growth of 25.5%.
• Services: Showed an impressive increase of 57.5%.

Sri Lanka’s economy had plunged into crisis in 2022, contracting 7.3% due to a severe foreign exchange shortage, soaring inflation, currency depreciation, and a historic foreign debt default. The downturn continued into 2023, with a 2.3% contraction.

However, a stronger-than-expected recovery took place in 2024, largely attributed to the $2.9 billion four-year bailoutprogram secured from the IMF in March 2023, which introduced economic reforms and financial stabilization measures.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva stated yesterday that the Batalanda Commission was not appointed by the current government and that there were no hidden motives behind unveiling its report.

Speaking to the media at the party office in Battaramulla, Silva emphasized that the government was merely bringing to light a report that had been previously concealed from the public.

He further noted that a large number of people are prepared to testify about the events that took place in Batalanda and that, if proper evidence is presented, not only Ranil Wickremesinghe but many others involved will have to face legal consequences.

Silva assured that the government would take all legally possible actions while remaining within the bounds of the law.

“This is a complex task. Evidence must be gathered, past killings and crimes must be investigated, and justice must be served for the victims. There are ongoing investigations into the anti-democratic and inhumane acts committed during previous regimes. We do not act outside the law—it is our responsibility to enforce justice against those involved in these crimes,” he asserted.