Former Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody has sent a Letter of Demand seeking Rs. 500 million in damages from Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Prasad Siriwardena, alleging defamatory remarks made at a public briefing.
The letter, issued through Attorney Sampath Yalewatta, says Siriwardena accused Jayakody of financial misconduct at a media briefing held on or around March 22. Jayakody describes himself in the letter as a qualified engineer with more than 30 years of executive experience and an unblemished professional record.
The letter notes that Jayakody recently stepped down from his ministerial portfolio following allegations of substandard coal imports, in order to allow an independent Presidential Commission of Inquiry to proceed. He is separately facing charges before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over a case dating to his earlier service as a state official.
The attorney’s notice argues Siriwardena’s allegations were baseless and were intended to damage both Jayakody’s personal reputation and the image of the National People’s Power. It demands payment of Rs. 500 million within 14 days and warns that legal action will follow to recover the sum together with interest and court costs if the demand is not met.
The move opens a third public-facing legal track for Jayakody. He resigned in April amid the coal quality scandal, survived a no-confidence motion and is now scheduled for a CIABOC trial in June. Opposition figures including Sajith Premadasa and Namal Rajapaksa had said the resignation came too late, while NPP ministers defended him at the time.
