Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa has sent a letter of demand to Environmentalist Sanjeeva Chamikara over a statement made to the media on 19 August.
Environmentalist Chamikara had raised allegations that the Army had commenced construction of the controversial road project through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve to benefit a hotel owned by Yoshitha Rajapaksa.
Responding to the allegations, Rajapaksa denied that the controversial road project through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve was being constructed to connect the main road to a hotel owned by him in the vicinity.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa said he will pursue legal action against Environmentalist Chamikara over the false allegations and has sent a letter of demand in this regard.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa further believes certain groups are attempting to tarnish his image via such allegations.
Environmentalists raised concerns over the road project as it was being constructed through the Sinharaja Forest which has been declared a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Following this, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week instructed to temporarily suspend the road development work taking place inside the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
The instruction comes after the Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies of Sri Lanka (CENS) had filed a complaint with UNESCO in this regard.
The Ministry of Highways later clarified that the Neluwa- Lankagama Road development project through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve was launched on the request of area residents. (Newswire)
