Minister Lokuge sends letter demand to Managing Director Leader Publications

COLOMBO: Sports and Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge has sent a letter of demand claiming Rs. 500 million from the Managing Director Leader Publications (Pvt) Ltd. against an article which appeared in the Sunday Leader on 25th February 2007 headlined "A Rs. 5 million deal that has come to haunt Lokuge".

The full text of the letter:

"I write on the instructions of my client Mr. Gamini Lokuge, MP of Mawittara, Piliyandala and wish to inform you as follows -

1. On the 25th of February 2007 "The Sunday Leader Newspaper, which is owned by Your Company, has published an article under the heading "A Rs. 5 million 'deal' that has come back to haunt Lokuge"

2. The aforesaid articles had been authored by one Sonali Samarasinghe, a journalist employed by your company and the said newspaper and edited by Lasantha Wickramatunga the editor of the aforesaid newspaper.

3. The said article is entirely based on false and untrue assertions, and contains derogatory and defamatory statements regarding my client which are defamatory both per se and by innuendo.

4. The language used in the said article clearly indicates that it has been published with malice and with the specific intention, inter alia, of defaming my client and bringing him into contempt and ridicule in the eyes of those reading the same.

5. The said article contains several falsehoods and has been published without any attempt at ascertaining their truth or veracity.

6. All the references to my client in the said article are intended to convey to the reading public, inter alia, the specific impression that my client is, a corrupt and fraudulent person and a person unfit to hold public office.

7. There can be no doubt that you were fully aware that the publication of the said articles at a time when to your knowledge, my client Mr. Gamini Lokuge had been appointed the Minister of Sports and is a sitting Member of Parliament, would, inter alia, defame my client and damage his good name, reputation and standing in society and bring him into contempt in the eyes of the public, both in Sri Lanka and abroad.

8. The publication of the aforesaid article containing the aforesaid false, malicious, defamatory and derogatory statement about my client has, inter alia, caused him grave pain of mind, severe loss of reputation and immense damage to his good name and standing in society not only amongst the general public and his voters in Sri Lanka but also amongst his friends, relations, his associates in the business and political community and the thousands of voters in the Western Province in particular and Sri Lanka in General

9. The calculated publication of the aforesaid false, malicious, defamatory and derogatory statements with such callous and total disregard to the harm and pain of mind it would undoubtedly cause my client clearly demonstrates your malicious intent to defame my client and deliberately cause him immense loss and damage as aforesaid.

10. The timing of the said article also clearly demonstrates a strong political bias.

11. I have therefore been instructed to demand of your Company and do hereby demand the immediate payment of a sum of Rupees Five Hundred Million (Rs. 500,000,000) as damages on account of your aforesaid wrongful, defamatory and malicious acts.

12. Should your Company fail to pay the said damages within Fourteen (14) days of the date of this letter I have been instructed to institute legal proceedings against you for the recovery of same.