A dramatic correction rewrites the narrative as millions vanish from reported figures, raising fresh questions about accuracy, accountability, and the true value of declared political wealth.
Hiru News has issued a formal correction regarding its earlier report on the assets and liabilities declaration of Minister K. D. Lal Kantha, acknowledging that certain figures previously published were inaccurate.
The correction follows an intervention by the Minister’s legal representatives, who pointed out discrepancies in the reported value of securities and the total gross value of assets. In response, Hiru News stated that it had reviewed the calculations and is now presenting the corrected figures under its right to correction.
In its original report published on the 16th, Hiru News detailed the assets and liabilities declaration submitted by Minister Lal Kantha for the years 2024 and 2025 to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. The report outlined both movable and immovable assets owned by the Minister and his family.
According to the declaration, the Minister had listed several immovable properties. These included a 2,500 square foot residential building on 10 perches of land valued at Rs. 600,000 received through a gift deed, a permanent building on 20 perches valued at Rs. 250,000, and a 4,500 square foot residential building on 14 perches valued at Rs. 5.6 million. In addition, inherited immovable property included a 1,500 square foot residential building and a commercial property situated on 2 roods and 7.26 perches of land, valued at Rs. 250,000.
The declaration also listed movable assets such as 8 pounds of gold jewelry valued at Rs. 1.6 million, 120 grams of gold valued at Rs. 30 million, and a motor vehicle valued at Rs. 45 million.
Hiru News further reported income details as declared by the Minister, which included an annual salary of Rs. 738,918.16, rental income of Rs. 400,000, and pension income amounting to Rs. 771,400. Additional income sources included Rs. 2,755,851.97 earned annually from fixed deposits and Rs. 1.8 million per year from current employment.
The media outlet clarified that these figures, as reported, were consistent with the declaration submitted to the Bribery Commission and did not contain errors.
However, the correction specifically addressed inaccuracies in the valuation of securities and the total gross asset figure. Hiru News stated that the previously reported value of the Minister’s securities, which was listed as Rs. 38,396,075.40, was the result of a calculation error. The corrected value of the securities, according to the official declaration, is Rs. 143,475.08.
Similarly, the report had earlier claimed that the total gross value of assets declared by the Minister exceeded Rs. 46 million. Hiru News now clarifies that this figure was also incorrect due to a miscalculation, and that the actual total gross value of assets is approximately in excess of Rs. 8 million.
Hiru News expressed regret over the inaccuracies and any inconvenience caused to Minister K. D. Lal Kantha, noting that the correction is being issued in accordance with standard media practice and the right to rectify published information.
