‘Who called me Dr.?’ - Justice Minister goes to CID

• It’s clear that someone might be trying to harm my reputation and undermine my credibility within my party by spreading false information 

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara lodged a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday requesting an inquiry into the inclusion of inaccurate educational qualifications in the Parliament database. 

Speaking to the media, the Minister expressed concerns that the erroneous data might have been deliberately entered to defame him or erode public trust in the country.   

Minister Nanayakkara’s name had been listed as “Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara” on the Parliament website. After a complaint was made, officials responsible for updating the site immediately corrected the information.   

Last week, the Parliamentary Communications Department acknowledged the error, attributing it to incorrect data entry concerning the Minister’s educational qualifications.   

Given the recent controversies surrounding the qualifications of other government MPs, Minister Nanayakkara emphasised the importance of investigating into how such mistakes have occurred.   

The Minister clarified that he had never used the “Dr.” title on his business cards or official biography. He said that he had filed the complaint with the CID to determine the motive behind the alteration of his information.   
“It’s clear that someone might be trying to harm my reputation and undermine my credibility within my party by spreading false information,” he said.   

He also said that he has requested the CID to thoroughly investigate into the matter and take appropriate action if any wrongdoing is discovered.   

Nanayakkara stressed that his aim was not to target any individual but rather to uncover the truth behind the incident.   

In addition, he said that legal steps are being considered to file a civil case for the damage to his reputation caused by the various media reports published related to the matter.