The Attorney General has informed the Supreme Court that a comprehensive investigation is underway into the acquisition of 12 media outlets by the UK-based Lyca Group, The Sunday Times reports. The investigations are being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC), and the Central Bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit.
The probe follows instructions from the Ministry of Defense to the State Intelligence Service to conduct a thorough inquiry into the acquisitions. As part of this process, the CID has sought assistance from the Central Bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit regarding Ben Holdings (Private) Company and Blue Summit Capital Management (Private) Company, both affiliated with the Lyca Group. Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena informed the court that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has also updated the Attorney General on the progress of the investigations.
Additionally, CIABOC has launched its investigation into the acquisitions. ASG Dharmawardena disclosed these details during the hearing of a Fundamental Rights Petition filed by activist Jamuni Kamantha. The petition challenged the legality of the acquisitions and was heard by a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva, Menaka Wijesundara, and Sampath Abayakoon.
President’s Counsel Uditha Egalahewa, representing the petitioner, argued that state institutions had not followed the proper procedures before granting media licenses to the Lyca Group’s network of media companies.
After reviewing the submissions, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition and scheduled the next hearing for December 2.
Lyca Group’s majority owner, Allirajah Subaskaran, is a Sri Lankan-born entrepreneur based in the UK. The company acquired the media outlets formerly owned by the EAP Media Network, which was part of the EAP Edirisinghe business family.
