-By A Special Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -16.July.2025, 10.40 PM) In an extraordinary and deeply troubling development, Ariyananda Dombagahawatta, the controversial editor-in-chief of the struggling Monara newspaper, has been accused of verbally abusing and attempting to physically assault a female journalist during a heated newsroom exchange—just as the paper faces the looming threat of closure due to mounting debt and administrative failures.
According to insider reports received by Lanka-e-News, the incident occurred during an internal editorial meeting at Monara, where Muditha Dayananda, a junior journalist, posed a critical question concerning the newspaper’s financial future. Dombagahawatta, reportedly incensed, lashed out at her with crude language, allegedly stating:
“You know nothing, shut your mouth, and get out. If you don’t shut up, I know exactly what to do.”
Sources allege he then attempted to physically strike the journalist before being restrained by younger colleagues present at the meeting.
The Monara newspaper, part of the Swarnavahini media network, is said to be in terminal decline. Once envisioned as a bold entrant into the daily news market, Monara now finds itself buried under unsustainable financial losses—reportedly over Rs. 100 million in debt to its printing and distribution services.
A redundancy plan has already been enacted, with 37 staff members reportedly laid off and promised severance pay amounting to just two and a half months’ wages. Staff have been summoned and dismissed without notice, as the management scrambles to avoid an imminent printing shutdown.
In a recent emergency meeting called to brief employees on the newspaper’s fate, Dombagahawatta and an official representing major backer Lycamobile attempted to allay concerns. However, when Ms. Dayananda raised a question about whether revenue could realistically cover daily costs—printing, salaries, electricity, transport—the editor reportedly exploded with fury, leading to the attempted assault.
The episode has sparked widespread outrage among Monara staff and beyond, with many accusing Dombagahawatta of bringing shame not only upon himself but also on Swarnavahini’s broader media reputation. Several journalists now refuse to acknowledge his authority in the office.
Staff have also questioned the editorial integrity of Dombagahawatta, widely seen as an unreliable administrator and lacking journalistic merit. Critics within the industry claim he is better known for his political deals and questionable loyalty than for any journalistic rigour.
He is infamously nicknamed the “Rajapaksa Laundryman” due to his alleged role in sanitising the image of the former ruling family through the Sunday Lankadeepa, where he served as editor until his abrupt removal by Wijeya Newspapers’ board without public explanation. After his dismissal, he joined Monara—a move seen by some as a lifeline extended by politically motivated benefactors.
Compounding the controversy is Dombagahawatta’s alleged romantic involvement with a 28-year-old female employee, over four decades his junior. Staff claim the editor is obsessively fixated on her, monitoring her interactions with male colleagues and frequently reprimanding her publicly. Several employees allege he has prohibited her from even talking to younger staffers—warning of violent consequences if she disobeys.
One journalist commented,
“It’s like a tawdry office drama. While the paper sinks, he’s busy playing the tragic groom chasing his young muse.”
According to newsroom insiders, verbal altercations between the pair are common, with their private relationship becoming an open secret and ongoing source of ridicule within the office.
Once a powerful figure at Sunday Lankadeepa, Dombagahawatta was known for transforming the editorial line into a mouthpiece for the Rajapaksas, allegedly in exchange for land deals and other perks. His time at the helm coincided with a period when the paper was said to be weaponised against opposition figures, critics, and whistleblowers.
But in an ironic twist of fate, his sudden fall from grace came when Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. ejected him—reportedly dragging him out unannounced. Now, his stewardship of Monara is following a similarly ignominious path, with the publication gasping for financial breath and its journalistic reputation in tatters.
Despite early investment promises, Lycamobile, Monara’s parent entity, is said to have backpedalled on long-term support. Although a two-year funding arrangement was initially announced, employees have now been told that the newspaper will be expected to generate its own income after just six months of backing—a shift that appears unsustainable.
As the Monara newsroom teeters between chaos and collapse, many insiders believe the editor’s erratic behaviour and personal entanglements have hastened the downfall of a publication that never quite found its footing.
Journalists once hopeful about a fresh editorial platform now find themselves grappling with a toxic workplace, a disgraced editor, and a future clouded by redundancy notices.
A senior staffer perhaps put it best:
“With this kind of management and misogyny, it’s no wonder the paper is collapsing. There’s no vision—just vanity, violence, and vendettas.”
Whether Monara will print another edition remains to be seen. But its descent into editorial farce, financial ruin, and public disgrace is already assured a place in Sri Lanka’s troubled media history.
-By A Special Correspondent
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by (2025-07-16 17:09:18)
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