Sunday Leader Editor convicted
[06 September 2000]

The Sunday Leader Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga was convicted to two years simple imprisonment, suspended for five years for the Criminal Defamation of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, yesterday by the High Court Judge of Colombo, Andrew Somawansa.

The Attorney General indicted Wickrematunga under section 480 of the Penal Code and under section 14 of the Press Council Law on charges of criminally defaming the President in an article titled ‘ A Promising Government’ in the Sunday Leader of September 3, 1995.

The court acquitted the 2^nd accused Lalraj Wickrematunga, the Sunday Leader proprietor on the basis that the prosecution had not established that the 2^nd accused had failed to exercise due diligence to prevent the said defamatory publication.

However, during his evidence the first accused took up the position that the said article was not defamatory of the President and also that the accused did not intentionally make the publication.

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