Opposition Leader attacks Editors

Sandasen Marasinghe, Irangika Range and Disna Mudalige

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stated that a number of attorneys assaulted Rajpal Abeynayake who attended a gathering organized by a lawyers' association only for their members, and behaved under the influence of liquor.

The Opposition Leader made this observation in Parliament joining the committee stage debate of the Appropriation Bill under the finance head of Information and Mass Media Ministry. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also stated that Rajpal Abeynayake did not have a ticket to enter the premises but he had blamed a few persons thereafter attending the occasion.

Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated that Frederica Jansz, of the Sunday Leader newspaper, at times demands money from the UNP and at other times obtains money from the Sunday Leader. He also stated that Frederica Jansz demanded awards from the Editors' Guild for her articles. He added that she blamed the Editors' Guild when they did not give her awards and later went to Singapore for a rest.

The Opposition Leader further said that such journalists were a disgrace to the profession. He added that there was no media freedom in the country.