The Colombo Additional District Court has scheduled the pre-trial conference for December 2 in the defamation case filed by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya against former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Tissa Attanayake.
The Prime Minister is seeking Rs. 100 million in damages for harm caused to her reputation by an allegedly false statement made by Attanayake.
The date was fixed by Colombo Additional District Judge U.S.K.K. Weraniyagoda after the respondents filed their objections in court.
The lawsuit stems from a statement Attanayake made on August 19, 2024, during an SJB presidential election rally in Mawanella. He allegedly claimed that a future National People’s Power (NPP) government would halt the annual Sri Dalada Perahera.
In her complaint, Prime Minister Amarasuriya stated that the false statement, made during a major election, was intended to subject her to public humiliation, slander, shame, and disgust.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya party and a private radio company have also been named as respondents in the case.
The plaintiff further informed the court that the false statement was broadcast as the lead story on a specific television channel’s news bulletin and was given prominence again the following day on the same channel’s newspaper review program.
