Committee to probe media institutions’ conduct during Rajapaksa regime!

Friday, 27 February 2015 

A committee is reportedly to be appointed to investigate the conduct and dealings of media institutions during the former Rajapaksa regime. In that period, most media were tamed by the then government, under duress or willingly, while some who had amassed money through illegal and fraudulent means, used their ill-gotten money to take over media institutions.

How did Navy Lt. Yoshitha Rajapaksa get money to open Carlton Sports Network (CSN), which was closed down a few days ago? How did CSN television, and Sinha, Red and Tamil FM radios get funded?  How did those institutions get permission to use equipment owned by Rupavahini Corporation? How did vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat get released for use by CSN?

How did former internal trade minister Johnston Fernando find Rs. 20 million to buy V FM radio channel?

How did notorious ethanol importer, MP Lakshman Wasantha Perera find money to start Lak FM radio channel?

How did Nilanga Rajapaksa and Prasanna and Jaliya Wickramasuriya brothers find money to buy Rivira Media, the publisher of Rivira and Nation newspapers?

How did Asanga Seneviratne get money to buy Leader Publications which publishes Sunday Leader and Irudina?
How did Randiwa newspaper owned by Saman Samarakkody get money through Ravi Wijeratne?

If the committee that will be appointed investigates the abovementioned media institutions and as to how they were funded, it could be found out as to what actually had happened at media institutions during that period.