Ashu demands Rs. 1.5Bn as damages from Hirunika and Adarsha

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, former advisor to President Ranil Wickremesinghe has sent a letter of demand claiming Rs.500 million and one billion rupees as damages from former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra and Adarsha Karadana respectively for allegedly making a defamatory statement regarding him during a press conference held on December 23.

Attorney-at-law Malin Rajapaksa said he was instructed by his client that statements made to the media were absolutely false and was a distortion of the truth.

The letter of demand sent to Adarsha Karadana stated that the statements as well as the doctored video clipping had been made by Adarsha with express malice, especially in view of the dispute created concerning a business venture carried on by Ashu Marasinghe  and Adarsha. It further stated Adarsha Karadana had acted to bring Ashu Marasinghe’s goodwill and reputation into public ridicule and disrepute. 

“I am also instructed to state that the said statements had been made by you as well as the video clipping had been released by you in the backdrop of you having demanded a sum of Rs.100 million from my client and threatening to defame my client in the event of my client’s failure to comply with your said demand, the lawyer said.
The letter of demand sent to Hirunika Premachandra stated that the statements made to the media by Hirunika are defamatory and had been made with the intention to commit an injury (animus injuriandi) to bring Prof. Marasinghe into ridicule.