ITN telecast Rs. 110 million worth ads of Mahinda free of charge!

 

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

The ITN has telecast election propaganda advertisements of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa free of charge during the presidential election, it is now coming to light.

According to estimations, the total payment due for these ads exceeds Rs. 110 million. Ex-chairman Anura Siriwardena had approved the telecasting of these ads free of charge. In order to escape the allegations, he fled the country together with his family on the day after the election.

Similarly, the SLRC, SLBC and Lake House had carried ads of the ex-president without obtaining any payment, which totals more than Rs. 1,000 million, reports say.

Once new media minister Gayantha Karunatilake assumes duties tomorrow (15), he is to appoint a commission to investigate this matter and report back to him, after which the accused would be prosecuted by the attorney general.