“News Editor is threatened, a culprit identified, and shocking political ties uncovered: the dark truth behind Sri Lanka’s latest rugby crisis reveals how far some will go to kill the truth.”
Sri Lanka Rugby, already engulfed in turmoil, has now been pulled into an even darker chapter the use of false and malicious online content aimed at silencing journalists who dare to expose the truth.
Caption: Image 1 – Chandreen Ranasinghe, Image 2 – The culprit Chandreen Ranasinghe initially shared a malicious post regarding the news editor on a whatsapp group named “SL Rugby Players Association”, Image 3 – Chandreen Ranasinghe identified by Truecaller
At the center of this controversy is Chandreen Ranasinghe, who has been identified as a key figure widely sharing defamatory material across WhatsApp groups. Ranasinghe is no ordinary bystander. He has publicly posted images of himself with Pavithra “Pavi” Fernando, the controversial Sri Lanka Rugby presidential hopeful and son of Hemasiri Fernando the former Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka, who was indicted in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 worshippers and injured more than 500. Hemasiri’s name remains indelibly tied to one of the darkest days in Sri Lanka’s history, after the Attorney General charged him with criminal negligence and corruption, while his long-time associate Maxwell de Silva the former Secretary General of the NOCSL was suspended by the Ministry of Sports in Sri Lanka, the IOC and OCA for swindling USD 10,000. Hemasiri Fernando was also being investigated for the same charge as De Silva.
That such individuals’ orbit now extends into a malicious cyber campaign against a journalist raises chilling questions about how far the rot has spread in both rugby and politics.
Image of Chandreen Ranasinghe and Pavithra Fernando pictured together found on Ranasinghe’s social media account
The Threats Against the Editor
Marlon Dale Ferreira the Editor of The Morning Telegraph, a journalist with experience dating back to 1988, and whose record includes contributions made to Lake House newspapers such as The Daily News, The Sunday Observer and Wijaya Publications such as The Daily Mirror and the Sunday Times, The Daily Morning and The Sunday Morning and reputed websites such as Colombo Telegraph, Emirates24/7, Minnesotta Post (USA) and is also a person who has provided testimonies at government ordered aviation corruption investigations, has now come under personal threat.
- The First Warning: Delivered via WhatsApp, a group owner told him:
“U are finished. Be careful what u do. There are some legal cases coming up against u. This is what I heard. Complaint to the CID and Interpol to trace u and bring u to Sri Lanka. Don’t spoil your good career.” - The Second Threat: Relayed through an acquaintance, the message was even more sinister:
“Even though you are overseas you have a wife and children in Sri Lanka. Do you know their underworld connections? Do you know who Nawala Nihal is and what his connection is towards Hemasiri and his son? Do you know the Fonseka family clan, the former casino owners? They are all Pavi’s relations. So be careful.”
Caption: A shot to the head – A chilling image of a picture found on Chandreen Ranasinghe’s social media account alongside Pavithra Fernando who is caught in a chilling gesture which could be perceived as “shoot you in the head”
These are not random threats. They reveal a coordinated attempt to intimidate, silence, and destroy reputations the very definition of a malicious campaign.
The Law: Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024
What those behind this campaign seem to forget is that Sri Lanka now has in place the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024, designed to address exactly this kind of abuse.
- Section 12 prohibits the communication of false statements that cause harm, incite hostility, or mislead the public.
- Section 32 empowers the Online Safety Commission to act against accounts engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior including group admins who allow malicious content to circulate.
- A “prohibited statement” includes anything false or malicious made with intent to harm and both the creator and the sharer can be held equally liable.
A Warning to Sharers and Group Admins
Let this serve as a warning to individuals like Chandreen Ranasinghe and to the administrators of the WhatsApp groups circulating these posts. Under the Online Safety Act, you are not shielded by ignorance. Sharing = publication. If you share false or malicious content, whether knowingly or unknowingly, you can be prosecuted just like the creator.
Group admins are not immune either. If they fail to moderate or stop the spread of prohibited statements, they too can be held responsible. The safest and only course of action is to delete such posts immediately and refuse to circulate them further.
The Dangers Journalists Face
This controversy also highlights a much wider and more chilling reality: the dangers journalists face in Sri Lanka.
- Since the 1990s, dozens of journalists have been killed, abducted, or disappeared. The Free Media Movement and Reporters Without Borders note that at least 40 journalists have been assassinated or abducted since 2004, many cases still unsolved.
- High-profile murders such as Lasantha Wickrematunge (2009) remain a symbol of impunity. Others like Prageeth Eknaligoda vanished without a trace, never seen again.
- Scores of journalists have fled into exile, while many more practice self-censorship out of fear of reprisal.
In this climate of intimidation, threats like those faced by Marlon Dale Ferreira, The Morning Telegraph’s Editor are not isolated, they are part of a larger culture of silencing the truth.
Why The Morning Telegraph Matters
Born out of necessity just two years ago, The Morning Telegraph has already published over 7,300 news stories, fearlessly exposing fraud and corruption. Its slogan, “Publishing Facts to Inspire Change,” is not mere branding it is a mission. People from across the country, armed with evidence, have sought out the social media platform to ensure their stories see the light of day.
The news website maintains a Corrections Policy and a Right of Reply Policy, ensuring balance and accountability in reporting. But it will not, under any circumstances, be deterred by malicious campaigns or threats.
The President Must Intervene
This is no longer a petty rugby dispute. The convergence of political families under indictment, shadowy underworld figures, and state officials manipulating sports governance has created a toxic brew. If left unchecked, it will destroy both the credibility of rugby and the safety of those who dare to expose the truth.
For the sake of the game, for the safety of journalists, and for the integrity of public life, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake must act.
Heads must roll, accountability must be enforced, and the Online Safety Act must be wielded not as a political weapon, but as a safeguard for truth and justice.
Warning: The Morning Telegraph will not bow to threats. It will continue to investigate, to publish, and to expose. But it warns all those who share false or malicious content: you are liable. You are granted seven days from this publication to delete what you have shared or posted or be prepared to face the law.
