In a firm stand against corporate bullying and attempts to suppress press freedom, Mr. M. Muaz Mohamed, Chief Editor of Sri Lanka’s leading investigative news portal ‘Hari Deshaya’, has issued a Letter of Demand against Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC today, seeking Rs. 100 million in damages.
The Background of the Dispute
Recently, ‘Hari Deshaya’ published a series of investigative reports, including an article titled, “Tens of Millions Siphoned from 99 Commercial Bank Accounts in Massive Phishing Scam; CID Launches Probe.” This exposé was published strictly in the public interest, maintaining the highest journalistic standards, to reveal critical information regarding consumer security and corporate malpractice.
The Bank’s Smear Campaign
Instead of addressing the severe internal security concerns raised, Commercial Bank attempted to intimidate and silence our publication. The bank published a “Special Notice” on its official Facebook page on April 24, 2026. In this post, the bank baselessly claimed that ‘Hari Deshaya’ was spreading “false” and “misleading” information, labeling our reports as “entirely baseless and inaccurate.”
This statement was made maliciously and with the intent to cover up the internal malpractices at the bank, while severely damaging the reputation and credibility of our Chief Editor and our news platform.
Our Legal Retaliation
‘Hari Deshaya’ refuses to bow down to corporate threats aimed at subverting the truth. Through our legal counsel, Attorney-at-Law Sanjeewa Kaluarachchi, we have formally demanded the following from Commercial Bank:
Immediate Apology & Retraction:
- The immediate removal of the defamatory Facebook post and the publication of a formal apology and retraction across all social media platforms.
Rs. 100 Million in Damages:
- The immediate payment of Rupees One Hundred Million (Rs. 100,000,000.00) as compensation for the grave and irreparable loss caused to our reputation.
Cease Further Defamation:
- An immediate halt to the dissemination of any further false statements regarding our publication.
The Letter of Demand strictly warns that failure to comply with these terms will result in the immediate commencement of appropriate legal proceedings without any further notice.