Media ad ban allegations surface as Ravi Karunanayake accuses banks of using financial power to suppress fraud reports.
Media ad ban threats are being used to silence reports on banking fraud and cyber-attacks, former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake alleged.
The Member of Parliament strongly criticized what he described as disgraceful attempts by bank administrations to use their financial power and social influence to pressure mainstream media institutions.
Ravi Karunanayake said banking institutions are using a shameful tactic to prevent information about large-scale frauds and cyber-attacks in the banking sector from reaching the public.
“To prevent information about large-scale frauds and cyber-attacks occurring in this banking sector from being made public, these banking institutions are using a very disgraceful tactic,” he said.
“They are using their financial power to threaten to suspend regular commercial advertisements given to media institutions and the payments for them, in a strong attempt to suppress these news stories,” Karunanayake further stated.
Speaking in Parliament today, the MP also commended the work of free digital media platforms, including Hari Deshaya, for standing up for the country’s financial security without bowing to financial threats or improper influence from what he described as banking criminals.
“But I must also recall here: there are still brave investigative media persons and free media platforms operating in our country today who refuse to remain silent in the face of such financial lootings and the collapse of the banking system,” he said.
He specifically mentioned digital media networks such as Hari Deshaya, Sri Lanka Mirror, and SL Leader, stating that they continue to reveal the truth about fraud and corruption within the banking system.
Karunanayake requested that immediate steps be taken to stop what he described as the hunting of independent media by cutting off commercial advertising revenue.
He also urged the current government to directly intervene to prevent large-scale corruption within the banking sector.
Hari Deshaya, in response, strongly condemned the cancellation of commercial advertisements to media institutions instead of directly and fearlessly responding to allegations.
It stated that such conduct affects the public’s right to information.
The platform further said that if the institutions concerned had acted responsibly when the allegations first emerged, there would have been enough opportunity to avoid the massive collapse that has now occurred.
SOURCE :- HARIDESHAYA.LK
