Special Report — HariDeshayaLk
The Director of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Nawaz, has reportedly gone into a state of panic following the public disclosure of an alleged covert operation orchestrated jointly with the Waqf Board to forcibly usurp the administration of the historic Galbokka Bukhari Mosque and Bari Madrasa in Weligama, compounded by the exposure of a controversial audio tape in which the principal petitioner openly claims to have paid bribes.
Despite the existence of a fundamental, democratic and legal entitlement to a formal ‘Right of Reply’—which allows parties to place their clarification on record in a civilized and orderly manner—Director Mohamed Nawaz has flatly refused to submit any formal written response or statement. Instead, he resorted to placing an aggressive, intimidatory, and highly unprofessional telephone call directly to the Editor-in-Chief of HariDeshayaLk.
An Intimidatory Phone Tirade in Lieu of a Formal Right of Reply
The decision of a top-tier executive heading a state department to launch a verbal onslaught via telephone, rather than formally responding in writing to grave journalistic disclosures, underscores critical concerns:
- Flagrant Disregard of the Right of Reply: Sidestepping standard democratic accountability and the opportunity to formally substantiate innocence or provide documentary clarification, Nawaz chose instead to attempt to muzzle the press through telephone threats.
- Evasion of Direct Bribery Allegations: In the face of a startling disclosure where the petitioner on record explicitly admitted to “having paid bribes to the necessary quarters,” alongside revelations regarding overnight clandestine appointment signings, the Director has failed to furnish a shred of rational or legal refutation.
- Breach of Public Service Ethics: No public servant holds the legal authority or ethical prerogative to adopt such hostile demeanor toward the press or any private citizen.
Bribe Recordings Shake the Public: Minister Sunil Senevi’s Baffling Silence
Even more critical than the Director’s hostile conduct is the deafening silence maintained by the subject Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Sunil Senevi, amidst escalating allegations of administrative malpractice and bribery within a department under his purview:
- Why No Independent Inquiry into the Leaked Audio? Despite an audio recording surfacing where the petitioner himself confesses to dispensing bribes, why has the Minister neither ordered an immediate ministerial probe nor referred the matter to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC)?
- Tacit Endorsement of Intimidation? When a head of a state department evades official communication channels and resorts to coercive tactics against journalists, on whose behest does Minister Sunil Senevi refrain from initiating disciplinary proceedings?
- Contempt of Judicial Process: While legal proceedings remain active before the Supreme Court, why has the Minister failed to intervene and annul questionable, overnight administrative appointments reportedly made behind closed doors?
Editorial Stance of HariDeshayaLk
Neither hostile phone calls from Director Mohamed Nawaz nor the conspicuous silence of Minister Sunil Senevi can suppress the factual disclosures surrounding the Weligama Bukhari Mosque dispute and underlying corruption claims.
Holding state authority does not confer impunity to bypass the formal right of reply and intimidate journalists. HariDeshayaLk remains firm in its journalistic mandate and is actively preparing to seek legal recourse across all relevant oversight authorities and oversight bodies.