Maliban Lemon Puff sues Nagananda Kodithuwakku for Rs. 600 million for false allegations

Two separate actions have been filed in the District Court of Nugegoda against the activist Nagananda Kodithuwakku and Sepal Amarasinghe by Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd., through its Attorneys Sudath Perera Associates, for publishing false and defamatory statements with regard to the one of Maliban’s most coveted products, namely Maliban Lemon Puff biscuits.

The action is surrounding claims made by the activist Nagananda Kodituwakku, published by him in social media, claiming that Maliban Lemon Puff has no real lemon cream and that Maliban company has cheated the consumers. Maliban claims that it is the only Lemon Puff manufacturer using real natural lemon cream and therefore the allegations were false, defamatory and made for ulterior ends.  

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd., trading under the brand name ‘Maliban,’ is one of Sri Lanka’s most reputed manufacturer of biscuits and has been a pioneer biscuit manufacturer for over 66 years. The Company has over the years earned the reputation as one of   Sri Lanka’s most trusted brands and respected business entities garnering substantial goodwill and reputation for its products both in the local and international markets. 

The pioneering Maliban Lemon Puff biscuits, a household staple in Sri Lanka, has been in the local market for over 40 years and is exported to over 35 countries in five continents. The Maliban Lemon Puff product has won the prestigious Superior Taste Award from ITQI (Brussels) in 2013, 2016 and 2019 and at present Maliban is the only manufacturer which uses natural lemon flavor in the production of the Maliban Lemon Puff Biscuits, approved by the regulatory authorities.

Nagananda Kodithuwaku and Sepal Amarasinghe who are identified as “social activist” and “Freelance writer” respectively with considerable social media following have spewed widespread false and defamatory statements through social media posts with regard to the Maliban Lemon Puff Biscuit products, claiming the said biscuits have no lemon flavour and that Maliban is cheating its consumers in this regard by selling garbage. 

Despite the regulatory authorities dismissing their claims, these individuals have continued to attack Maliban with the intention of tarnishing the company image by spreading these false and misleading statements, in a desperate bid to get the attention of the public. The said individuals, in view of their claims being not entertained by the authorities have conducted themselves in an unlawful manner which is in bad faith and with express malice to defame the company to further their personal agendas. 

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories have filed separate actions against the said individuals demanding damages of Rs. 600,000,000 from Nagananda Kodithuwaku and Rs. 500,000,000 from Sepal Amarasinghe and Nagananda Kodithuwaku jointly for their wrongful and illegal conduct and for tarnishing the company image and its goodwill. The Court has issued notice against the Defendants to appear before the Court on 18 June.