As per order from top, Thilanga to hunt down Karu, Milinda

 Friday, 17 January 2014

MP Thilanga Sumathipala, the owner of Sumathi Publishers that publishes ‘Lakbima’, is on a campaign to hunt down Karu Jayasuriya and Milinda Moragoda with one bullet.

 As the first step, daily ‘Lakbima’ planted a story to the effect that Mr. Moragoda, presidential advisor and one-time closest ally of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, will be the UNP’s chief ministerial candidate at the western provincial council polls. The newspaper further claimed united leadership council chairman Jayasuriya has held several rounds of talks with Mr. Moragoda in that regard.
 On the morning of January 13, Thilanga had spoken to daily ‘Lakbima’ editor Saman Wagarachchi and inquired as to why the newspaper was not attacking Milinda and Karu any further. The owner ordered the editor to immediately publish an article to the effect that Karu-Milinda talks are still ongoing and that more such news be planted.
 According to internal sources at the newspaper, the editor has tasked Lasantha Weerakulasuriya, assistant news editor, lobby correspondent and who covers Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP, with this news planting work. When both the editor and his subordinate expressed reluctance to fulfil Thilanga’s contract, the owner has insisted on that account. Mr. Wagarachchi has advised his assistant editor to write something without the byline, to which he had replied that he would write along with a statement from Mr. Jayasuriya.
 Mr. Weerakulasuriya had tried unsuccessfully several times to reach the united leadership council chairman over the phone, and also attempted in vain to get to him through his media secretary, who had replied that he has gone outstation.
 In the end, another editorial member wrote a story to the effect that there has been a meeting between Karu and Milinda, as was the wish of Thilanga, and it was published in the provincial issue of January 14. Thilanga has severely reprimanded the assistant editor for not carrying a statement from Mr. Jayasuriya along with it and ordered that the article be dropped from the city edition, said the sources further.
 But, the original story as wanted by Thilanga was posted on the online edition of ‘Lakbima’ on January 14 and online editor Anrua Horatius had forgotten to remove it until late into the afternoon.
 Await further details about this contract given Thilanga by a topmost position in the country…