Attorney-at-Law Navodya Gamage has issued a letter of demand on behalf of Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman, seeking Rs. 50 million in damages from journalist Poddala Jayantha over a Facebook post deemed defamatory.
The letter, dated June 19, 2025, accuses Jayantha of publishing a post containing false, unverified, and damaging allegations against Rahman, with the intention of misleading the public and tarnishing his reputation. It notes that the post had been widely shared—over 1,000 times—exacerbating the reputational harm.
The letter further warns that failure to pay the demanded amount will result in legal action without further notice.
In response, Poddala Jayantha issued a detailed public statement and apology on Facebook, admitting the report was erroneous and attributing the mistake to human error. He said the post was removed after discovering the information was inaccurate and that he immediately published MP Rahman’s denial with the same prominence as the original post.
Jayantha emphasized that the correction was made voluntarily and in line with media ethics. “If MP Mujibur Rahman experienced any distress or discomfort as a result of the earlier report, I express my sincere regret,” he said. (Newswire)
