Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, has sent a Letter of Demand to Waruna Rajapaksha over alleged defamatory statements on YouTube regarding a distillery licence.
Issuing a statement, the Deputy Minister’s Office said a series of defamatory and false allegations against Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe were recently circulated on a YouTube channel by an individual named Waruna Rajapaksha.
Accordingly, a Letter of Demand has been issued to Waruna Rajapaksha, seeking compensation for the damage caused.
The issue is linked to recent allegations that Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe and MP Najith Indika had met a businessman at the Kingsbury Hotel to discuss a distillery licence under questionable circumstances.
The matter was also raised in Parliament last week by opposition MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.
“As public officials, we often meet investors and individuals interested in potential investments on a daily basis. The discussion referred to by MP Rasamanickam never took place, and I have never received such a letter. I urge members not to use Parliament to popularise material that appears on YouTube,” Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said, responding to the MP.
Statement : Statement from Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development (Newswire)