Defamatory comment on Sri Lanka head sparks FIR

A complaint has been filed with the Sri Lankan police over an allegedly "false and defamatory" statement made using President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's name, his office said on Monday. His lawyers lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department on Sunday against Tusitha Halloluwa, the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.

Halloluwa served as the executive director of the National Lotteries Board and the director general of public relations during former president Ranil Wickremesinghe's administration.

“The statement in question made using President Dissanayake’s name is alleged to be severely damaging to his reputation and character," the statement said, calling it "defamatory and false".

The office said it requests an immediate investigation against Halloluwa as well as social media activists who disseminated the statement online. The PMD did not give details of the alleged defamatory statement.

"It calls for legal action against those responsible for spreading misinformation and tarnishing the president’s image," said the statement.

Sri Lankan laws do not permit prosecution for criminal defamation.

Analysts say the action is being sought under the Online Safety Act of 2024, which Dissanayake’s party, which was then in opposition, had opposed.