Former Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs, Ashu Marasinghe, through his lawyer, has demanded a compensation of Rs. 1.5 billion from his estranged partner, Adarsha Karadana and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) politician Hirunika Premachandra.

Accordingly, notices were issued  to both Premachandra and Karadana, demanding Rs. 500 million from the former, and Rs. 1 billion from the latter, over recent claims made by the duo at a media conference held on 23 December.

Marasinghe’s lawyer, Malin Rajapakse, deemed the statements as ‘false’, ‘defamatory’ and ‘misleading’, further accusing Karadana of having doctored a now widespread video of Marasinghe sexually abusing her pet dog.

“I am instructed to state that you have at the above press conference taken steps to furnish several misleading still photographs obtained from a doctored video clipping which had been filmed by you to be ultimately shown to the media personnel who were present in an attempt to substantiate the false allegations made against my client at the said press conference”, the notice sent to Karadana read.

Rajapakse also accused Premachandra of knowingly spreading false information regarding the incident for malicious intentions.

Thus, both parties have been ordered to pay their respective amounts of compensation within 14 days from the date on which the notice was issued (29 Dec.) in the event of failure to do so, legal proceedings will be instituted against them for the recovery of the quoted sum with additional interests  and the cost of the lawsuit, Rajapakse stressed. 

On 24 December, Marasinghe filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against the video widely circulated on social media.

He vehemently dismissed the allegations of sexually abusing the animal as “false”, while his lawyer stated that the video in question had been distorted over a spat between his client and the company where the aforementioned woman serves as a director.