Minister Daya Gamage eyeing to buy CSN

Minister Daya Gamage is making an attempt these days to buy over the CSN Channel about which rumours had spread that it belonged to the former President's sons who are presently involved in a financial crisis, it was reported.

Problems had cropped up regarding further maintaining the CSN Channel because of excessive taxes imposed for sports channels sometime back at the 100 Day interim budget. Subsequently, the said channel was forced to continue at a minimum level after paying heavy compensation to its employees and they were made to leave. In the meantime a financial inquiry was launched over the CSN Channel by the FCID recently. Under such circumstances the former Directors and Heads of CSN Channel attended police investigations. During the last General Election when the permit was available for them to broadcast sports, they had instead functioned as a political and news channel and in the process had become a channel which engaged in live broadcasts of 'Mahinda samaga negitimu'.

It was after the new government came into power that a talk went round that Minister Daya Gamage who incidentally is a businessman had made a bid to buy this channel. Whatever it is, so far it is not known whether that establishment has agreed to it or not. In any case about a week before this the Kaduwela Magistrate Court has issued a temporary injunction order against selling, transferring or leasing CSN Channel. The reason being an inquiry is in progress regarding a financial deal and if the sale is effected it would create an obstacle in extracting necessary information on a clear basis, in that connection. 

This transaction may take place once this temporary ban is removed.