COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – In a stunning revelation made just hours before the official halt of the election campaign, President Ranil Wickremesinghe disclosed that the owner of a prominent electronic media channel had pressured him to pardon a specific prisoner. According to Wickremesinghe, when he refused to comply with the request, the media outlet began targeting him with negative coverage.
During a televised conversation, the President revealed that the channel owner had expected special treatment in exchange for favorable media coverage. Wickremesinghe stated that because he upheld the law and declined the request, the media mogul retaliated by using his platform to attack the President’s administration. The President also alluded to another party that did agree to the media owner’s demand, benefiting from the favorable coverage in return for fulfilling the request.
Although Wickremesinghe did not disclose the name of the prisoner or the media owner, sources close to the President have provided further details, indicating that the incident dates back to 2022. The President reportedly advised the media executive to seek a legal resolution for the prisoner’s case and refused to be swayed by the offer of media support.
This refusal, according to insiders, triggered what has now been described as one of the most unethical and disgraceful media operations in Sri Lanka’s history. The media outlet in question allegedly launched a targeted campaign against the President, intensifying its criticism in an apparent response to the President’s decision not to intervene in the legal matter.
This revelation comes at a critical time in Sri Lanka’s political landscape, with the elections drawing near and tensions rising over media influence and the interplay between politics and press freedom.
