While dismissing an appeal filed by Associated News Papers of Ceylon Ltd (Lake House) against a Colombo District Court judgment, the Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed and upheld the original District Court judgment ordering the Associated News Papers Ceylon Ltd and then Sunday Observer chief editor Ajith Samaranayake to pay a compensation of two million rupees to retired army Brigadier L.D.S. Wijisekara over publishing a defamatory statement on April 3, 1994.

Brig. Wijesekara had filed a lawsuit against the Associated News Papers of Ceylon Ltd and Sunday Observer chief editor for publishing a defamatory news article under the heading of “Permits Issued to transport banned goods to Tiger territory - Brig. Wijesekara to be Court Martialled” on the front page of the Sunday Observer on April 3, 1994.

Accordingly, Colombo District Court ordered the defendants to pay a compensation of two million rupees to Brigadier as damages. Court of Appeal Justice Chithrasiri dismissed the appeal with costs.

Journalist Ajith Samaranayake who was the editor of The Sunday Observer newspaper in 1994 passed away a few years ago.