The claim
Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala accused the Rajapaksas over the death of journalist Darshana Handungoda, according to a Mawbima newspaper report.
Original publisher’s rating
False
Reviewed by Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka ↗ ·
Read the original fact check ↗Original review summary
Fact Crescendo found no Mawbima article or interview in which Watagala made the alleged statement. The newspaper editor and the journalist said no such article or interview existed, and Watagala’s media coordinator said the image was a fake edit. The review concluded that the viral claim was false.[S1]
Additional context
The review reports that Handungoda died while receiving hospital treatment on January 10. [S1]
Research date:
Sources and attribution
- [S1] Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka original review
Original review · Retrieved October 15, 2026
Original review: Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka. Structured data compiled by Data Commons under CC BY 4.0. Publisher article content is subject to its own terms. Summaries and context are produced by PeakMetrics with AI assistance.
Updated