Responding to allegations made by Colombo Telegraph, Sanjana Hattotuwa, Editor of Groundviews website says the Colombo Telegraph article is yet another example why Colombo Telegraph‘s on-going and illegal block by all ISPs in Sri Lanka is so ill-advised. 

"In blocking the site, the Government of Sri Lanka gives it an air of authority that ill fits the quality of discourse featured on it. And yet, if we cannot countenance the worst that is written of us, without any substantiation and for the most parochial of reasons on the principle that it has as much a right to be published as that which praises us, we aren’t really champions media freedom.," Hattotuwa says in a statement today. 

"In 2009, a series of email exchanges with the then coordinator of the Media Unit, CPA’s Executive Director and the Editor of Colombo Telegraph, an erstwhile employee of CPA, also clearly alluded to allegations along the same lines as that which is now in public. Clearly then, given that these receipts and associated farrago of allegations made in the article seem to have resided with the Editor of Colombo Telegraph for over ten years, and have also in the past been alluded to in emails but never substantiated, it is curious as to why they only now appear in the public domain," Hattotuwa had questioned in his statement. 

Responding to Hattotuwa's denial, Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, Editor of Colombo Telegraph, told Asian Mirror that he wrote to him (The Coordinator of the Media Unit) when he heard about "Hattotuwa's conduct". " But I had no proof at that time, some time later on 7/9/11 I managed to get half of the bill and I forwarded it to Sara, but he never replied. Then I talked to the then Unit coordinator in February 2014 to get confirmation, but still we couldn't find the full documents. we only managed to get them two weeks ago," Kurukulasuriya said.

Questioning the veracity of Colombo Telegraph article, Hattotuwa said his institution did not have a male Media Coordinator after 2004! However, Kurukulasuriya, speaking to 'Asian Mirror', said there was a male Media Coordinator at CPA until October,2007.  

Kurukulasuriya also stated that Hattotuwa should clear his name on whether or not he "verbally abused" a female coworker at the CPA. "Also, he is yet to answer this allegation and prove us wrong."

However, in response to the Colombo Telegraph article, Hattotuwa also said , "I remain as committed to the unblocking ofColombo Telegraph as I am truly appalled by the content published and penned by its Editor."

Colombo Telegraph alleged that Sanjana Hattotuwa, Editor of CPA-funded website Groundviews, had asked the coordinator of CPA’s Media Unit to put down expenses incurred at the Gallery Cafe of Paradise Road Galleries as ‘travel expenses’.Colombo Telegraph said Hattotuwa had requested for a cash payment on this occasion. Referring to this allegation, CT also added "certain prominent Colombo-based ‘human rights professionals’ are making merry, wining and dining in upmarket restaurants, hoodwinking donors by filing expenses under ‘safe’ cost columns."