Court orders first imprisonment under OSA

Thursday, 28 November 2024 05:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A businessman, identified as N.M. Paaris, has been sentenced to six months of imprisonment, suspended for five years, after being found guilty of spreading a misleading voice clip about former Minister Cader Mastan on various social media platforms.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Paaris was fined Rs. 5,000 for the offence by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage. The Court also directed him to remove all defamatory content he had posted against Mastan from all social media platforms.

The judgment was issued following a case filed by Mastan under the provisions of the Online Safety Act 2024. Previously, the Court had imposed an unconditional gag order on Paaris.

Former State Minister Mastan was represented in Court by President’s Counsel Mohamed Ali Sabry.