ANGELA ARGUES WITH ‘MAWBIMA’

Will someone write about his/her own sister like that?

Many stories were woven around Angela about the ‘Hashish’ parcel that had come under her name. First the Media only stated that she was of a famous actress and later on her name too was mentioned.
Then many newspapers published immediately with the heading stating that “the famous actress is missing” by interpreting that she is the real offender. Yet according to what Angela told before the Media and according to what the Police had said to the Media after investigations by the Police Narcotics Bureau it was proven beyond any doubt that she is not the convict.
In between these investigations were on the Saudi Embassy Personnel where she was employed had fired her misinterpreting what was published in newspapers as correct.
In sheer desperation, she is not in good terms with certain Media. What publishes below is how she has argued with those responsible for the ‘Mawbima’ newspaper:
Angela, I am speaking from Mawbima:
“I will answer to the questions asked.”
That means that your mental health is in a better condition:
“My mental health would never recover thanks to you all.”
Why are you saying so?
No… just because ‘Mawbima’ gave me a good publicity.
Like what?
“You have spoken in such a lovely and a respectable way.”
So why don’t you tell us how that was?
“Why don’t you ask as to what happened from the Police?”
What does that mean?
“Why didn’t you all take the effort to find me when the story just propped out? Before writing that I am missing in action you should have taken my number and the address from the film Corporation.”
We tried, but we couldn’t. We got the information from the Police. Whatever we write is based on Police information. Do you call it a wrong thing?
“Police didn’t say that I was missing. They made inquiries saying that there is evidence against me”.
If not how come that is in writing?
“About me you all have woven a beautiful story with beautiful words.”
We won’t write unless we have some kind of proof.
“No… the truth and the real situation is the same.”
We go into more detailed inquiries.
“You haven’t revealed the real situation”.
Then what is the real situation?
“The famous actress, Angela Seneviratne is not connected to this case.”
Who says so?
“Police and the Police Narcotics Bureau says so.”
How can they say so?
“They say so because I am not connected to this case. I have no connection to this story.”
Your name was related to it?
“Anyone can relate anyone’s name even yours. That doesn’t say that we are connected. I have no connection to this. The Police had evidence to prove that the signature in the document was not mine. They haven’t even code my signature, they have just used my signature. Who am I? I am a famous and I am an actress. You all should know who I am.”
Whether you are a Senior Actress or not is not important to us.
“What?”
We don’t consider whether you are an actress of a senior status or anything as such…
“Don’t you…. But…”.
Whether you did something or not is not important to us. What is important is the incident
“ I haven’t done anything.”
Do you say that when a normal person does something wrong, do we have to ask that person whether he did it or not?
“I haven’t done anything”.
A suspect….
“Sir, the Police know that I haven’t done anything wrong.”
What happened here was that a parcel came under Angela Seneviratne’s name and that was published in the newspaper. Is that wrong?
“You have a right to publish it but here…
That’s what… the Police said that a parcel arrived under Angela Seneviratne’s name. Accordingly that news….
“Was it cooked adding more salt and…”
No… what I said was that a parcel came and there was illegal drugs in that.
“No… it is right to write that but you have added serious…”
What is so serious thing in that?
Why did you call me now…”
To talk  about this…
“There is nothing more to talk about anything. My image had been spoilt and tarnished and I have already lost my job as well.”
If you did not do anything wrong how can you lose your job? Can’t you prove yourself right with the evidence the Police has?
“They fired me after seeing the publications over a period of five days. I was doing a respectable job, but I have lost it. Now it’s gone.”
O.K. If the Sri Lankan government and the Police says that you are not related to anything, isn’t that enough to get your job back?
“That doesn’t work like that.”
Who can fire you from a job just because such news was published against you?
“I wasn’t working in a Sri Lankan embassy. I was working in an Embassy of a foreign country.”
Of which country was that?
“Saudi”
Can’t the Sri Lankan government do anything about that? Now whom, are you blaming? Is it the media?
“No, but Sir, the Police did not accuse me of anything.”
No. now the fact that they were published in media, so are you blaming the Media for losing your job?
“Not an accusation but that was a reason”.
Why? Didn’t the Police give that information?
“Saying that I  was released”.
No. I am asking now, don’t you think that the Police gave that information to the Media?
“Yes”.
So ?
“I don’t know whether you all published what the Police gave or not.”
So why can’t you accuse those publications or take action against them?
“Of course I can, yet…”
So why don’t you? Why are you just saying of course I can…
“If you say that I have a right, I have to seek guidance.”
From whom?
“Sir, please understand that I have never faced such a problem in my life… “
We wrote based on the information we got from the Police. First they said that it was a famous actress and later on it was told that the parcel came under Angela Seneviratne’s name. The other information came later on… that’s how we did the article. Would you say no to any of the above?
“I too was a journalist. I had worked for Daily Mirror.”
So you must be well aware as to how we get the information and its sources. So without blaming the Media why don’t you blame the Police?
“I don’t want to blame the police”.
That means that you are afraid of the Police.
“No I am not, Never.”
If Angela had worked for a newspaper, you must be knowing the tradition that we call the Police and we do the article based on that information. If a man in a village was caught for stealing a cow, do we have to ask the man before writing the article? What matters is the incident and not the person or his/her status.
“On whose behalf are you talking “Now to me?”
I am talking on behalf of the newspaper. So no one can order saying that only these questions could be asked. Am I clear?
“You have the right to ask and at the same time I have the right to answer or avoid answering.”
True. At the same time I have the right to publish the questions
“Newspaper”…. answered as well the questions unanswered.

If you have worked for a newspaper, is it wrong to write what the Police say.
“You know better. Will you do that to your sister?”
My sister won’t do that. If she does, I will write so, but the problem is not that. The Police gave some information. We wrote that. Is that right or wrong?
“Had I been a Soma from a village would you use the name?”
Yes, we do. Read the newspaper…
“I will ask a small question. S.PAjith Rohan told that I am not wrong. Did you publish that?”
Yes. We did.
“Where and when”?
Read the newspapers carefully.
“Yes. You have published that in small letters in a corner.”
 I feel sorry to hear that you have been a journalist and still you haven’t read the newspapers well. 
“No, my question is why didn’t you publish it in big letters like the first one?”
It was published. Watch it properly. We have published it with the photograph.
“I dint see it”.