Actress Ritu Akarsha has issued a public statement denying any connection to a bank account named in the unlawful assets case brought by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against former minister Mervyn Silva, Hiru News reported on Monday.

Akarsha said reports tying her to money credited to a DFCC Bank account in the case were entirely false and misleading. She said she has never held the account attributed to the name “Ritu Akarsha” in the indictment and that the account number cited there is not hers.

She told reporters she has obtained an official letter from DFCC Bank confirming that no such account exists in her name, and produced it to the media.

The case

CIABOC’s case concerns the alleged acquisition of unlawful assets exceeding Rs 600 million by the former minister between 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2012, according to Hiru’s account of the indictment.

Akarsha said she was still a schoolgirl during that period and had no involvement in the matters before the court.

Akarsha said she has already begun legal proceedings against media organisations, social media accounts and individuals that published what she described as false information causing serious damage to her name and reputation.

She warned that she would pursue anyone who publishes, edits or reshares misleading material about her connection to the case.

LankaNewz has not independently reviewed the indictment and has not seen the bank letter. No response from CIABOC or from the former minister’s legal team was reported. Silva has faced several separate asset-declaration and illicit-enrichment proceedings over the years, and the figures and periods cited in them differ from case to case.