Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has issued a legal notice against Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Private) Limited, accusing the local broadcaster of misrepresenting his 2025 assets and liabilities declaration and publishing defamatory content.
The notice, dated April 18, states that Hiru Media Network aired a news segment on April 16 alleging the minister’s assets exceeded Rs. 460 million, citing details from his declaration.
Lal Kantha contends the figures were deliberately exaggerated and misinterpreted, particularly claims regarding property and company shares in his daughter’s name.
According to the legal notice, the declaration submitted to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) included assets under his name, his wife’s, and his daughter’s, but the broadcaster presented them in a misleading manner.
The minister argues that the report, along with its republication across digital platforms under the headline “Minister Lal Kantha’s assets exceed Rs. 460 milion,” was intended to damage his reputation.
In the legal notice sent to a television network, the Minister stated that shares held in his daughter’s name — valued at approximately Rs. 143,000 — had been inaccurately reported as investments worth hundreds of millions of rupees.
The shares in question were purchased for around Rs. 90,000 and currently hold a value close to Rs. 143,000, he said.
However, the media report had claimed that securities worth over Rs. 380 million across multiple companies were owned, which the Minister describes as “completely false and misleading.”
The notice further claims that the broadcast has caused severe harm to the minister’s public image, portraying him as corrupt and misleading voters, supporters, and the wider public.
Minister Lal Kantha is seeking Rs. 10 billion in damages within seven days and has warned that failure to comply will result in legal proceedings, including recovery of costs and interest.
The minister also indicated he would petition authorities to revoke Hiru Media Network’s broadcasting license, alleging misuse of a public frequency for partisan and defamatory purposes. (Newswire)
