Police headquarters has given the go ahead to the Negombo Police to investigate a complaint by The Sunday Times journalist Quintus Perera accusing business tycoon Harry Jayawardena of abusing and threatening him at the recent launch of Heritance Negombo.
The police have sought statements from those who had been present at the launch, including journalists. Heritance General Manager Ranjan Stanislaus is among them.
In his complaint, Perera has alleged that Jayawardena lambasted him over the reportage of a court case involving him.
According to him, Stanislaus directed him to Jayawardena, the owner of the controlling stake in Aitken Spence Group and its Heritance chain of resorts.
Perera lodged a complaint at Police Headquarters. He told police that he had been abused over the coverage of a case involving Jayawardena, chairman of Stassen Exports (Pvt) Ltd and Stassen International (Pvt) and OSH Holdings over trademark rights of a particular tea brand.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Island