Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will initiate legal action against MP Chamara Sampath over what has been described as false and defamatory statements made about the Archbishop, according to the Cardinal’s Media Spokesman, Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini.
In a statement, Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini said the Cardinal’s lawyers are already taking legal steps in relation to remarks allegedly made by the MP during a joint opposition meeting on or around July 10.
According to the statement, the MP had claimed that the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army visited the Cardinal’s residence with a basket of fruit on July 2 and that the Army Commander’s term of office was subsequently extended until January or February 2028.
The Cardinal’s office categorically rejected the claims, stating that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith returned to Sri Lanka only on July 3 after attending a Vatican conference presided over by Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
The statement further said that no meeting had taken place between the Cardinal and the Army Commander from July 3 to date.
Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini also alleged that the MP’s remarks were aimed at undermining religious harmony in Sri Lanka for narrow political gain. (Newswire)