Journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama today (4) offered an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case filed against him by President’s Counsel and former Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.
The case, heard before Justices S. Thurairaja, Priyantha Fernando, and Sobitha Rajakaruna, relates to statements made during an interview broadcast on Samarawickrama’s popular YouTube channel Truth with Chamuditha, which the petitioner claimed were defamatory and contemptuous of the judiciary.
Dr. Rajapakshe accused Samarawickrama and his interviewee, Keerthi Wickramaratne of making remarks that not only damaged his reputation but also undermined the dignity of the Supreme Court. The court, having considered the content, determined that the statements had indeed harmed the authority of the judiciary.
Appearing through legal counsel, both Samarawickrama and Rathnayake expressed their willingness to apologise unconditionally to both the court and Dr. Rajapakshe.
While accepting the apology, the Supreme Court sternly warned the respondents to act with greater responsibility and professionalism in the future. The judges emphasised that targeting individuals involved in legal proceedings with baseless or offensive public remarks could lead to serious legal consequences.
They further reminded the respondents—and by extension all media practitioners—that freedom of expression must be exercised with accountability and within the bounds of the law. The court stressed that public trust in the judiciary must not be eroded through reckless or defamatory content, especially on media platforms.
This Supreme Court case comes alongside a legal action filed by Dr. Rajapakshe in the Nugegoda District Court under case number 5575/2025 M. In that defamation case, he sought Rs. 1 billion in damages, alleging that the interview conducted by Samarawickrama with Rathnayake on or around 30 April 2025 was malicious and deliberately designed to portray him and his son, Attorney-at-Law Rakhitha Rajapakshe, as corrupt and criminal. The court, upon review of the material, issued an interim injunction restraining the respondents from making or disseminating any statements—directly or indirectly—through electronic, print, social media, or any other means, relating to Dr. Rajapakshe or his family.
The petition further alleged that Samarawickrama, while operating under police protection, conducted orchestrated interviews that provoked targeted attacks and defamation campaigns, some of which allegedly led to violent outcomes. The petitioner cited three high-profile incidents in which individuals interviewed by Samarawickrama were subsequently murdered, allegedly as a direct consequence of inflammatory content aired during these sessions. These incidents include the killing of Public Health Inspector Rohana Kumara Withanage in Elpitiya in February 2024; the murder of Aruna Vidanagama and his two children in Middeniya in February 2025; and the killing of social activist Dan Priyasad in April 2025. It is further alleged that some of these crimes may have been carried out in coordination with underworld gangs, prompting a request for a formal investigation by the Inspector General of Police.
Editor’s note: The name of the interviewee was mistakenly published as Keerthi Ratnayake. The correct name is Keerthi Wickramaratne. We sincerely apologise for the error and extend our apologies to Keerthi Rathnayake for the oversight. The mistake has since been corrected.
