(Lanka-e-News -28.July.2016, 11.00PM) Following the Lanka e news report on the 26 th in connection with Bharatha Lakshman murder and the impending court verdict , TV channel Director Reno De Silva the brother of the accused Duminda De Silva made a response….
On the 26 th, Reno De Silva who contacted Lanka e news said , he has nothing to do with pressures exerted on the judges in regard to the court verdict, and such pressures in regard to verdicts are brought to bear only when such news reports are published .
Lanka e news reported under the caption ‘Conspiracy to free Duminda Silva in Bharatha Lakshman murder case by Sarath Silva: Black money rides the high horse !' on the 26th .
It is to be noted that in our report , Reno De Silva’s name was not mentioned anywhere. There was not even a semblance. The names mentioned were only of the judge who heard the case ; a former chief justice (CJ ) Sarath N.Silva ;and Duminda R Silva the accused.
It is therefore most regrettable , Reno De Silva has worn the hat as though it fits him . The more one defends , the clearer it becomes it needs defense, is a common adage.
We deem it our duty to reveal our policy to our valued viewers as well as to Reno De Silva who is nursing the wrong notion that such reports influence the case verdict .
It is worthy of note that this case was heard before a panel of three judges who had knowledge of the laws and their judicial profession , and not before a Jury panel comprising ordinary citizens sans knowledge of laws and the profession. It is only in regard to the cases that are heard before a jury panel as afore-stated , the media are not bound to express views . This is because there is a likelihood for the jury panel which is constituted of ordinary citizens without knowledge of laws and the judicial profession to change their opinions based on ordinary news reports.Whereas , the judges who are supposed to have profound knowledge of the laws and their profession do not change their opinions simply by reading news reports.
In the circumstances , when cases are heard by judges sans a jury panel , it is a practice around the world for the media to express opinions and reveal inside reports. Hence Lanka e news only followed civilized media policy based on accepted traditions and practices around the world when reporting that news.
In the ghastly murder of Bharatha Kashman in broad daylight , three others too were killed. This multiple murder of four individuals is no trifling matter because there must be a murderer behind who is guilty.
During the Rajapakse nefarious decade as was always the case , the relatives of the victims were never meted out justice. Hence , Lanka e news as a media always espousing the cause of the downtrodden and the victims of injustice, fearlessly , frankly and forthrightly exposed the details. Indeed , Lanka e news had to face a ban within Sri Lanka because we were highlighting the gruesome murder of Bharatha Lakshman and others , while all other media were slinking and fearing because of the media suppression and oppression that prevailed at that time under the corrupt , brutal and despotic Rajapakse regime.
This was well illustrated when the media personnel who were assembled at the scene after the murder of Bharatha Lakshman were fiercely assaulted by the goons and gangs of Duminda Silva at the time Bharatha was being taken to hospital. The worst part ? the police were watching and enjoying the spectacle.
It was on 8 th September 2011 Bharatha was killed , and just after that on the 9th of October 2011, access to the Lanka e news website was barred, and on 3 rd November 2011 it was officially banned which lasted until the corrupt brutal despotic Rajapkse regime was ousted by the Rainbow revolution on 8 th January 2015.
During that period , the Broadcasting channel of Reno De Silva , (a media chief) was also subjected to an unjustifiable ban. But , by dispatching Duminda Silva his brother who was an opposition M.P. at that time into the ruling Rajapakse regime camp they got the ban lifted. Sadly ,that marked the beginning of the end of Duminda Silva. That also set in motion the illicit and sordid collaboration between political opportunism and opportunistic media with unscrupulous aims and agendas, and brought to light the disgraceful levels politics and the media have descended in Sri Lanka.
Why should the media stand by the people and justice , as well as denounce opportunism , and for what reason ?
Surely, there is nothing that Lanka e news can learn from Reno De Silva with such a putrid antecedence, to find an answer to the above question and on media ethics and conduct. It is better that Reno does a little soul searching rather than soul –selling ,and realizes he should learn a thing or two from us . We hope he is intelligent and intelligible enough to learn in case we have to teach him. It is better he learns to learn properly before he learns to earn improperly.
Lanka e news chief Editor
Translated by Jeff
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by (2016-07-28 18:11:23)
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2 discussion on this news
small correction, he is Reno Silva not Reno De Silva
-- by malaka on 2016-07-29
His name is Samantha Reynor Silva, went to Presiden't College Rajagiriya but he keeps saying St. Peters because he was not allowed to sit for ALs due to his poor performance in OLs, then went to Peters due to favoritism from the catholic religion.
-- by gammanpila on 2016-08-05
