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Interference with the judiciary is a part of governance in Sri Lanka - Opinion | Daily Mirror

Daily Mirror LK · · 1140 words · By DM Editorial
Judicial independence Government accountability Political Hypocrisy
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Interference-with-the-judiciary-is-a-part-of-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Whataboutism 80% confidence
Deflecting criticism by pointing to a different issue.
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Appeal to Hypocrisy 90% confidence
Dismissing someone's argument because their behavior contradicts it.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

18 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 8
check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 1
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“Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was questioned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Tuesday in connection with an alleged US$2 million bribe linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft during his second administration.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (News 1st and other web search results) confirm that Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before CIABOC regarding a US$2 million bribe linked to Airbus aircraft purchases.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 21 September 2024. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe ran for re-election as an independent candidate, making him the first sitting president to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Sri_Lankan_presidential_e…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anura Kumara Dissanayake (born 24 November 1968), commonly referred to by his initials AKD, is a Sri Lankan politician who has served as the tenth president of Sri Lanka since 2024. Dissanayake is the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anura_Kumara_Dissanayake
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Maithripala Yapa Sirisena (Sinhala: පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; Tamil: பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரிபால யாப்பா சிறிசேன; born 3 September 1951) is a Sri Lankan politician who served as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maithripala_Sirisena
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake while addressing a special District Coordination Committee meeting in Matale, stated that there were groups who thought that the long arm of the law will never reach them as they were of the view that they are above the law.”
CORROBORATED
The Island and Newswire both report that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed a Special District Coordination Committee meeting in Matale and emphasized that the law applies to all regardless of power.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anura Kumara Dissanayake (born 24 November 1968), commonly referred to by his initials AKD, is a Sri Lankan politician who has served as the tenth president of Sri Lanka since 2024. Dissanayake is the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anura_Kumara_Dissanayake
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The first Dissanayake cabinet was a central government of Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It was a 3-member interim cabinet formed in September 2024 after the presidential electio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Dissanayake_cabinet
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second Dissanayake cabinet is the current central government of Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It was formed on 18 November 2024 after the parliamentary election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Dissanayake_cabinet
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Ranil Wickremesinghe... was arrested August last year over the alleged misuse of state funds for a graduation ceremony of his wife Maithree at Wolverhampton University in England in 2023.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of 'former' and general Wikipedia entries about Ranil Wickremesinghe. There is no evidence in the provided results confirming an arrest in August regarding a graduation ceremony.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 21 September 2024. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe ran for re-election as an independent candidate, making him the first sitting president to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Sri_Lankan_presidential_e…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති Śrī Laṅkā Janādhipati; Tamil: இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதி Ilaṇkai janātipati) is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Repub…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Sri_Lanka
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ranil Wickremesinghe (Sinhala: රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ; Tamil: ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க; born 24 March 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the ninth president of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He has al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranil_Wickremesinghe
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“during the National People’s Power (NPP) May Day rally, President Dissanayake referred to a case heard on April 30, stating that the judgement would be delivered on May 25, and urged the public to be ready to applaud the verdict.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The web search results provided for this claim are irrelevant (referring to California utilities, Maryland housing, and Ghana elections) and do not mention the NPP May Day rally or the specific court dates mentioned.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2024 to elect the president and all 276 members of Parliament. The incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, having completed his constitutional term limi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Ghanaian_general_election
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Public JSC National nuclear energy generating company "Energoatom" (Ukrainian: ПАТ 'НАЕК "Енергоатом"', romanized: PAT NAEK 'Enerhoatom') is the public enterprise operating all four nuclear power …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energoatom
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National People's Power (NPP), known in Sinhala as the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB), is a left-wing to far-left political alliance in Sri Lanka. It is the current ruling party of Sri Lanka, havin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_People's_Power
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the President only referred to the next dates of several court cases, which is public knowledge already.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While Wikipedia and web results confirm Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa's role as Minister of Health and Media, there is no independent corroboration of the specific statement he made regarding the President's comments on court dates.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harshana Peiris Suriyapperuma (born 15 February 1973) is a Sri Lankan politician who is currently serving as the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance. He previously served as the deputy minister of fi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harshana_Suriyapperuma
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Walakada Appuhamilage Nalinda Wajiramal Jayatissa (known as Nalinda Jayatissa born 21 April 1977) is a Sri Lankan politician who serves as the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Chief Government Whip…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalinda_Jayatissa
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second Dissanayake cabinet is the current central government of Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. It was formed on 18 November 2024 after the parliamentary election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Dissanayake_cabinet
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“many people were able to infer the verdict delivered in 2002 against LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran in connection with the Central Bank bombing in 1996.”
VERIFIED
Wikipedia and news reports confirm the 1996 Central Bank bombing and specifically mention a High Court decision in Colombo sentencing LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in absentia to 200 years in jail.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1996 Colombo Central Bank bombing. Part of the Sri Lankan civil war. The Central Bank bombing was one of the most devastating and deadliest attacks that occurred in Sri Lanka during the civil war. Dat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo_Central_Bank_bombing
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web search NEUTRAL — One note of discord followed the announcement of a High Court decision in Colombo sentencing LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in absentia to 200 years in jail for planning a bomb attack on the Centr…
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2002/11/sri-n07.html
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web search NEUTRAL — Velupillai Prabhakaran, reclusive leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, participates in second round of peace talks with Norwegian mediators; talks are aimed at ending civil war; photo (S).
https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/velupillai-prabhakaran?…
info
“the government of releasing over 300 containers from the Colombo harbour in January 2025 without physical inspection, but knowingly well that the authorities had acted in accordance with a decision by the Customs during the previous government in July 2024.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim is completely irrelevant, discussing an Italian TV show and airport departures, with no mention of containers or Customs decisions in Colombo harbour.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It aired on Sky Atlantic from 28 February to 14 March 2025. Synopsis: Born on the 1st of January 1900 in a poor family in rural Sicily, Modesta pursues happiness since her childhood without falling vi…
https://ok.ru/video/8958476618338
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web search NEUTRAL — Flight Departures information from Colombo Bandaranaike Airport (CMB): Status and Estimated times - Today.
https://www.colombo-airport.com/bandaranaike-departures
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web search NEUTRAL — mekibau.baby is an online platform created to link you to the realm of viral content. From funny videos to current news, to popular lifestyle advice, you’ll discover everything here. Featuring a user-…
https://mekibau.baby/latest-top-brand-new-generation-video-v…
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“previous governments have also levied fines from coal suppliers over the quality of their coal consignments in the period following 2020.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Ceylon Today and other web results) report that the government imposed fines on coal suppliers (such as Trident Camphor) due to substandard quality of consignments.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The General Manager of the Lanka Coal Company, Namal Hewage, announced that a fine of approximately 2.1 million US dollars will be imposed on a coal supplier for delivering consignments...
https://slguardian.org/coal-controversy-deepens-as-substanda…
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web search NEUTRAL — Deputy Power Minister Arkam Ilyas yesterday said the Government has withheld over $ 37 million from coal suppliers, including fines and performance guarantees, as authorities assess losses linked to d…
https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Govt-withholds-over-37-m-from-c…
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web search NEUTRAL — By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan Data provided by the Ministry of Energy revealed that while the fines imposed on the coal supplier, Trident Camphor, for shipment 1 exceeded the projected losses, the fines i…
https://ceylontoday.lk/2026/02/14/soc-grills-officials-over-…
help
“Presidential commission appointed to look into irregularities in coal purchases since 2009”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for a Presidential commission investigating coal purchases since 2009.
help
“there were times when even the houses of Supreme Court judges were stoned. It happened after a judgement against the attack on an Opposition protest by the ruling United National Party (UNP) in 1983 during J.R. Jayewardene’s Presidency.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the specific incident of Supreme Court judges' houses being stoned in 1983.
schedule
“President Chandrika Kumaratunga was accused of appointing one of her personal friends, Sarath Nanda Silva as the Chief Justice in 1999, “bypassing one of Sri Lanka’s steadfastly rights friendly judges, the late Mark Fernado.””
PENDING
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“President Mahinda Rajapaksa ignored a Supreme Court order to reduce fuel prices in 2008”
PENDING
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“during the same administration in 2012, judges and lawyers had to boycott courts for a day to protest the physical assault on judge Manjula Tilakaratne”
PENDING
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“A year later, the then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was impeached based on the rulings of a Parliamentary Select Committee dominated by the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).”
PENDING
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“The Yahapalana government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presented an amendment to the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill introducing the mixed election system circumventing the Supreme Court’s perusal.”
PENDING
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“a Presidential commission was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2020 to annul rulings by courts of law against politically connected people and to deprive civic rights of those who were instrumental to those filing such cases.”
PENDING
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“When the Supreme Court said that the proposed Gender Equality Bill was inconsistent with the Constitution in June 2024, Wickremesinghe called it “judicial cannibalism””
PENDING
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“SLPP Parliamentarian Premanath C. Dolawatta suggested in Parliament to summon the Supreme Court judges before the Parliamentary Privilege Committee for their order in March 2023 not to withhold funds for the local government election”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.