Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Mass Media against Hiru TV, escalating a dispute over what he calls a false report on his declaration of assets and liabilities.
The complaint relates to a Hiru TV broadcast built on the minister’s voluntary 2024/25 declaration to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). Lal Kantha alleges the report distorted the filing and wrongly claimed he owned assets worth more than Rs. 460 million, without seeking clarification before publication.
Under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 09 of 2023, declarations must cover not only the filer’s own assets but also those of a spouse and unmarried children living in the same household. Lal Kantha said his declaration included assets belonging to his wife and daughter, but the channel did not flag this distinction. He cited in particular shares bought by his daughter, valued at roughly Rs. 90,000 at purchase and about Rs. 143,000 now, which he says the channel misrepresented as Rs. 380 million in securities held by him personally.
The minister has already issued a Rs. 10 billion letter of demand through his lawyers over the alleged defamation. The broadcaster — identified in prior reporting as Asia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) — has since retracted the asset figures, but Lal Kantha says his name and shares remain tied to the inflated totals.
“We have listened to all the insults with patience. When we take one step against them, they say it’s a mistake and ask for forgiveness. There will be no forgiveness,” Lal Kantha told supporters in Anuradhapura.
The Ministry of Mass Media complaint opens a regulatory track alongside the civil damages demand and earlier CIABOC filings.
