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The Kotte Municipal Council is in the midst of a scandal with Deputy Mayor Madura Vithanage suing Mayor Janaka Ranawaka for Rs. 20 million as damages for allegedly showing a “doctored’ video clip of the Deputy Mayor in a compromising position.
The petition of the Deputy Mayor was filed by S.B. Dissanayake Associates before the Colombo District Court claiming that the Deputy Mayor who hails from a respectable family in the area and a social worker was elected to the Kotte Municipal Council at the last local government election by obtaining over 7000 votes.
The petitioner said on several occasions he took up matters in the council’s meetings pertaining to the awarding of tenders to several persons by the mayor without following the tender procedure.
The petitioner said the Mayor thus to take revenge from the petitioner had shown a doctored video clip to the staff and several other people showing him in a compromising position.
The plaintiff claims that the video clip was prepared by the Mayor to defame him and to tarnish his image as the Deputy Mayor.
The petitioner asked the court to award him Rs 20 million as damages from the respondent for defaming his character and for the mental pain the he suffered. He also pleaded to restrain the Mayor from showing the visuals by a permanent injunction and to issue an interim injunction until the final determination of the case.
District Judge G.A.D. Ganepola issued an interim order and noticed the respondent to appear in courts on April 11.
Counsel Deepika Dalugoda instructed by S.B. Dissanayake Associates appeared for the plaintiff. (T. Farook Thajudeen)