Deputy Minister and Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala has filed a defamation case against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) activist Mahinda Pathirana, seeking compensation of Rs. 10 billion.
The case has been filed in the Kaduwela District Court under case number 8892/M. Deputy Minister Watagala alleges that Mahinda Pathirana made a false and defamatory statement claiming that he had purchased a luxury apartment at the Cinnamon Life housing complex in Colombo, that the source of funds used to purchase the property was questionable, and that there was serious suspicion the property was received as a bribe.
According to the complaint, Mahinda Pathirana made these allegations in a Facebook post published in September 2025. In the post, he alleged that Deputy Minister Watagala owned a luxury apartment at Cinnamon Life and questioned how the funds for the purchase were obtained, suggesting it may have been a bribe.
Deputy Minister Watagala has informed the court that these allegations are completely false and baseless. He further stated that the defamatory post was deliberately published with the intention of damaging his personal reputation and discrediting his political movement.
The complaint also notes that Mahinda Pathirana made the statement by quoting another Facebook account under the name “Sachin Ratwatte,” and that there is doubt as to whether this Facebook account is genuine.
Deputy Minister Watagala has further stated that the Facebook post went viral on social media, causing serious harm to his reputation.
In addition, the complaint states that Mahinda Pathirana failed to respond to a legal letter sent to him, requesting either a correction of the false statements or the payment of compensation.
