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Defence Secretary sues The Leader
Tuesday, 26 February 2008 - 7:44 AM SL Time
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Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has filed action in the District Court of Mount Lavinia against The Sunday Leader chief editor Lasantha Wickramatunga and Leader Publications Pvt Limited claiming a sum of Rs 1,000 million as damages in respect of an article published in the Sunday Leader of July 15, 2007 under the headline `MiG deal crash lands on Government.`
The Defence Secretary filing action through his Attorney at Law, Sanath Wijewardane, had stated that the article published in the newspaper was animus injuriandi and prayed court to grant him necessary relief and the cost, including interest until the final determination of the case.
He informed Court that the articles clearly identified him with photographs and other details and they have been published with malicious intent to damage his reputation. He said several articles published in the newspaper on the MiG aircraft purchases made further allegations against him which were false and defamatory.
The Petitioner stated that his reputation suffered both on a personal level and as the Defence Secretary through the publication of the said articles.
The Court was told that the petitioner had earlier demanded Rs.250 million as damages for publishing the said material but Leader Publications had not paid the said amount.
The petitioner said he hails from a distinguished political family that has served the country with distinction for generations. He joined the Army in 1971 and played an active role in operations against the terrorists.
He was awarded the Rana Sura and Rana Wickrama medal by the State in recognition of his bravery. He retired from the Army after a distinguished service of 20 years. He then followed a post graduate computer course at the Colombo University and left for the United States where he worked as a computer systems specialist at the prestigious Loyola Law School.
Then he was appointed as the Defence Secretary in 2005 and since then, he has been working with dedication and commitment to lead the decisive battle against terrorism carried out by the Security Forces.
He told Court that in order to minimise any irregularities and corruption in the purchases made by the Security Forces he established a completely Government owned company top act as local agent for such purchases, thus saving a large sum that would otherwise have been lost to the country in the form of agents fees and commissions.
All these steps have led to unprecedented victories against terrorism.
The petitioner said that in this background, the publication of the said articles was designed to tarnish his reputation and credibility.
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LankanWay
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 26 Feb 2008 02:10:50 GMT Report for Abuse
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Sunday Leader and Lasantha Wickramatunga - self-fish, opportunistic, unethical moron in Sri Lanka. Better not be born in SL after his death.
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Magnum357
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 26 Feb 2008 02:15:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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Defence Secretary sues The Leader
Burning the Leader printing press and equipment, physically attacking Lasantha many times does not seem to have worked!
Lasantha himself an Attorney-at-Law would be looking forward to meeting Gota in Court.
Would be a very interesting case to follow!
Edited By - Magnum357 - 26 Feb 2008 02:22:11 GMT |
Thambi
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 26 Feb 2008 02:18:24 GMT Report for Abuse
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Government has earned widespread criticism is the sudden removal of Piyasena Ranasinghe, the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption. Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday Ranasinghe had been removed since he was spearheading investigations into the controversial MiG-27 procurement deal from Ukraine as well the probe into corrupt and irregular activities highlighted by the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080224/Columns/political.html |
Fairplay
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 26 Feb 2008 03:53:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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He told Court that in order to minimise any irregularities and corruption in the purchases made by the Security Forces he established a completely Government owned company top act as local agent for such purchases, thus saving a large sum that would otherwise have been lost to the country in the form of agents fees and commissions.
Hello Gotha,
Let the Judge be informed that any Consultanting/Consultants fee in the purchase of these weapons couldn't be avoided because YOU DID NOT USE THE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES INVOLVING THE Technical evaluation committee and the Financing committee.
Why shouldn't we believe this scenario
Value of weapons 70%
Consulting fee 30% that includes the commission going to your family.
Fairplay |
anizam
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26 Feb 2008 05:29:54 GMT Report for Abuse
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What else can you expect this GOAT to do?? So many people have sued Lasantha before. So many people have tried to silence him. What happened? NOTHING!
The Judge who was supposed to Investigate this case - Piyasena Ranasinghe, the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Bribery is REMOVED.
The Man who made the initial complaint against GOAT RajaPAKAYA - Sripathi - dies hitting a tree. What a 'conveniant' Accident?????
Keep up the good work Lasantha - we are 109% with you!! As long as these RajaPAKAYAs plunder, Lasantha will expose this Filthy SWINE family! :) :)
Edited By - anizam - 26 Feb 2008 05:33:49 GMT |
gchula99
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 26 Feb 2008 10:34:13 GMT Report for Abuse
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Anizam,
If you wants to make your point more attractive and impressive you have to be more controlled calm and decent.Although we agree you, aggressive language simply lose the support because most of us are educated lot.
As a person from the area I know that Rajapaksa family is a reputable and respectable family in the area for generations.
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DrJones
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 26 Feb 2008 11:03:56 GMT Report for Abuse
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They could not silent Lasatha before and they sure as hell can't now!
Lasantha knows what type of underworld thugs he is confronting here. Defamation suites and death threats are more frequent to him than the daily sunrise and being a criminal lawyer himself, who jolly well knows what he is up against, he would not have said anything if he risked being sued. If I remember correct, a court is yet to find Sunday Leader guilty of false reporting or defamation since its launch more than a decade ago.
After all, all SL governments will always do what they know best: kill the messenger.
Edited By - DrJones - 26 Feb 2008 11:05:51 GMT |
anizam
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26 Feb 2008 15:36:01 GMT Report for Abuse
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Gchula99:
Yes yes i know very well that people like you are ONLY concerned when i attack the RajaPAKAYAs. However when RajaPAKAYA supporters attack anyone and everyone who is against Motta Rala - people like you are no where to be seen. :) i know how these things work my firend. I wasnt born yesterday....
I have also know the RajaPAKAYA family for generation (like everyone else on this forum who is connected to someone important) :) and we know type of dealings they were involved in From 'Helping Hambanthota', the Wambota Gang and Chandi Malli, to mig deals to burning down the sunday leader press to intimidating and removing any one who investigating their dealings... the list goes on.. |
Sintamus
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 26 Feb 2008 22:09:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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Why was the Director General of the Bribery Commission that wanted to investigate the corruption and bribery alleged to be involved in the purchase of MiG fighters removed. Who were the beneficiaries of the 30% commission that was paid in this MiG deal?
A person who orders women and children be removed at gun point at dawn in the buses to be ferried to an area that re-armed paramilitaries terrorize can hardly be civilised human.
This court action must be welcome to clear the muddied political waters of Gotabhaya creation.
There may be another case coming to US courts where the architect of violations of human rights, crimes against humanity and forged passport of Kokila Gunawardene be answerable as the sworn citizen of that country.
Edited By - Sintamus - 26 Feb 2008 22:39:08 GMT |
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26 Feb 2008 20:54:09 GMT