Derana TV has removed its Director (News) Shehan Baranage following the incident where UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake allegedly gave a telephone call to Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage during a political programme.

Baranage has been removed from operations by the management of Derana on the grounds that Ramanayake gave this telephone call with the knowledge of the Director.

One of the charges that has been leveled against Baranage is that there had been a telephone conversation between the Parliamentarian and the Director, before the programme went on air, sources close to the Management of Derana told Asian Mirror.

However, Ramanayake has categorically stated that he had no knowledge of the person by the name of “Matara – Sunil” who contacted Minister Aluthgamage.  

A caller named Sunil from Matara gave a telephone call to Sports Minister Aluthgamage and leveled serious allegations against him saying the Minister’s wife was aware of all his alleged “malpractices”. Following the telephone call, Minister Aluthgamage walked out of the TV show, accusing Derana TV station of supporting the political campaign of the opposition.

Soon after the show, Aluthgamage lodged a complaint with the Mirihana Police and subsequent to the complaint, the Police later revealed that the telephone number of the caller is registered under UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake’s name.

Ministers of the government have alleged that Ramanayake himself gave the telephone call to Aluthgamage with an altered voice.

Meanwhile, during a programme on another TV channel several months ago, Ramanayake had spoken in the same voice when he gave a prank call to another artiste, pretending to be a person named “Sunil”.