Lawsuits against Wimal for attempting to spread a lie and the channel that publicized it.

Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, has sent legal notices to former Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa and Swarnavahini media institution, demanding one billion rupees each as compensation. A statement issued by the Minister's side indicates that this step has been taken on charges of making a false statement that defames the Minister and broadcasting it.

The statement indicates that on or around February 06, 2026, former MP Wimal Weerawansa made the controversial statement during a press conference. In it, the former MP publicly stated, in a manner convincing and implying to the public, that the Minister had purchased goods worth approximately one million rupees in India using a credit card belonging to the owner of a blacklisted pharmaceutical company.

Based on this statement, Swarnavahini channel broadcast the news as a feature called “Story of the Day” during its 6:50 PM news bulletin on February 07, 2026. The legal notice states that no inquiry was made from the Minister regarding the truthfulness of the news before its broadcast, and the Minister was not given an opportunity to present his facts during the program.

The letter sent through the lawyer emphasizes that this statement is completely false and baseless, and that it was made with the malicious intent solely to damage the Minister's reputation and public trust. Therefore, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has further informed that one billion rupees each has been demanded as compensation for the damage caused, from Mr. Wimal Weerawansa as well as from Ben Holdings (PVT) Ltd and EAP Broadcasting Company Limited, which own the Swarnavahini channel, failing which further legal action will be taken.