Journalists threatened by the MP and his wife
An MP and his wife have threatened journalist Samanthi Weerasekera over the phone regarding an article published in the Divaina newspaper regarding illegal constructions taking place in the Hanthana ecological zone in Kandy.
Hanthana, Kandy is an Ecological Protection Zone. Secretary of the Hanthana Conservation Organization Amit Senanayake has lodged several complaints with the Kandy Police, the Hanthana Management Committee and the Central Environmental Authority.
There is a land 300 feet above sea level which is reportedly owned by the wife of MP Lakshman Kiriella. Amit Senanayake has lodged a complaint with the Kandy Police alleging that trees had been felled and set on fire. According to the complaint, a case is being heard in the Kandy Magistrate’s Court. Journalist Samanthi Weerasekera wrote a feature article for the Divaina newspaper regarding illegal activities taking place in this eco-zone and it was published in the Divaina newspaper on Sunday, 3 January 2021.
“After the article was published, Minister Lakshman Kiriella and his wife spoke to me on two occasions in a threatening manner and asked me what my sources were for writing an article like this. MP. Kiriella’s wife asked me for the sources and then handed over the phone to the security guard, saying that she did not want to talk to me anymore. They have called the office of Minister Kiriella and inquired about me, ”said the journalist who faced the threats.
She has informed her newspaper about this but has not lodged a complaint with the police or any other party. Samanthi Weerasekera is the Kandy Staff Correspondent of the Divaina newspaper.
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