Claim: Actor and Member of Parliament Jagath Manuwarna asked for a Lamborghini after becoming a politician.
Fact: This claim is misleading. While Manuwarna has said that he might need to rely on certain state resources like vehicles to execute his duties as a Member of Parliament, he has not asked for a Lamborghini or any specific type of vehicle.
Several recent social media posts associated with the Sinhala film and television actor Jagath Manuwarna insinuate that he has requested that the government allot him a Lamborghini if he is elected to the Parliament.
The posts were viral on TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook. A few examples can be found here, here, and here.
One poster named Colombo Post said in Sinhala on Facebook, “Manuwarna campaigns for the NPP without Lamborghinis.”
Another user named @v_ray_official said on TikTok, “Manuwarna cries asking for a Lamborghini!”
Manuwarna has been elected as a Member of Parliament in the new government, and he has come second in terms of preferential votes in the Kandy district. During his campaign in Kandy for the National People’s Power/Jathika Jana Balawegaya, Manuwarna lashed out at former state officials and politicians for misusing state resources for their personal gain. He also criticised politicians asking for the specific brand of vehicles, Lamborghinis, for personal use. The viral claim is in contrast with these past statements, prompting Newschecker team to check its authenticity.
Fact Check/Verification
Newschecker began by conducting a keyword search in Sinhala for the terms “Jagath Manuwarna”, “vehicle”, and “Lamborghini”, which led us to a video from 2015 where the actor was speaking at a press conference about censorship of certain film projects and television channels by the then Rajapaksa government.
“My parents should have said that they wanted a Lamborghini when they birthed me,” he can be heard saying in the speech, referring to the probe into the luxury cars allegedly owned by the President’s son.
More information about the 2015 probe into luxury cars owned by the Rajapaksa sons can be found here.
Speaking to TV channel Nidahas Lanka in 2018, the actor clarified that his above statement had been taken out of context way too many times. In the interview, Manuwarna says that he “only wanted to highlight the struggle of filmmakers and industry professionals who are treated unfairly unlike the Rajapaksa sons who own multiple luxury cars such as Lamborghinis.”
On October 24, Manuwarna attended a TV programme named Thulawa on ITN. Responding to the question if he is “personally financially stable enough” to take on the role of an MP since MPs do not get a sizeable salary, Manuwarna said that he feels “confident that he can manage his role” with what he will get as an MP because he feels fulfilled in his life, especially through his acting career. He also says that he believes it is time for him to contribute to society as a politician now.
Conclusion
An old statement by actor-turned-politician Jagath Manuwarna is being shared out of context. While Manuwarna has said that he might need to rely on certain state resources like vehicles to execute his duties as a Member of Parliament, he has not asked for a Lamborghini or any specific type of vehicle from the state.
Result: Missing context
Our sources
A live stream of the TV programme Thulawa on ITN, aired on October 24, 2024
A news report about an investigation of the Rajapaksas’ house in Tangalle for a Lamborghini, on January 19, 2015
A recording of a TV programme on Nidahas Lanka, on August 2, 2018
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