Our Team

Nishan De Mel

Editor-in-Chief

Nishan is the Executive Director of Verité Research, where he provides comprehensive oversight for the FactCheck.lk team, encompassing final research, editorial, and strategic guidance. He is an economist with extensive academic, policy and private-sector experience. Nishan taught and researched economics at Oxford and Harvard Universities. In the 1990s, he sat on multiple Presidential Task Forces in Sri Lanka, playing an instrumental role in designing national policies on Health Sector Reform, Social Security and Tobacco & Alcohol. He also served as the Executive Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. He sits on multiple private sector boards and consults regularly as a strategist for some of the region’s largest firms.

Viran Corea

Legal Advisor

Viran Corea is a Legal advisor at Verité Research and serves as an advisor for analysis of legal statements for FactCheck.lk. He has extensive litigation experience, mainly in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka. Viran specialises in public law, constitutional law and fundamental rights, and has appeared in numerous landmark cases in these areas. Viran has public sector experience as a legal professional, having served as State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka for several years. He has advised and represented state institutions and functionaries, as well as the private sector in litigation. Viran holds an LL.B. and LL.M. from the University of Colombo and is an Attorney-at-Law.

Deepanjalie Abeywardana

Senior Advisor

Deepanjalie is the Deputy Director of Media and Politics at Verité Research and advises the operations of the FactCheck.lk team. She has extensive experience in media ethics, media behaviour as well as media and women. Additionally, she has experience in conflict resolution and human rights through her studies at University of Oslo, Norway and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Deepanjalie received a BA in International Relations from the University of Colombo and a MA in South Asian Studies from Pondicherry University, India where she was selected as one of the first two Sri Lankans to undertake the MA on a Madanjeet Singh Scholarship. Deepanjalie has worked with a wide range of local and international stakeholders and media practitioners on understanding the Sri Lankan media, media ownership and media’s role in fostering reconciliation.

Mahoshadi Peiris

Manager

Mahoshadi manages the FactCheck.lk platform. She oversees the core analysts and administrative team, shaping the platform’s strategy. Additionally, Mahoshadi provides initial editorial and research guidance to the analysts before the fact-checks undergo a final review by the Editor-in-chief. She also manages the weekly production and dissemination of fact-checks across both social and mainstream media channels. Beyond her contributions to FactCheck.lk, Mahoshadi serves as the Team Leader for Verité Media, a division of Verité Research. In this capacity, she has led and authored numerous research assignments spanning various thematic areas, including research on ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka, personal law reform, language and media polarisation, and the challenge of information disorder. She holds a Bachelor of Laws with a Second (Upper) Division from the University of London and is currently reading for her Attorney-at-Law Bar examination at Sri Lanka Law College.

Jonathan Cruse

Administrative Assistant

Jonathan assists with managing the weekly production of fact-checks, including providing research and writing assistance to the Analysts in the team. He also conceptualises, curates and executes the communications for FactCheck.lk’s social media handles. He works as a Junior Research Analyst in the Media Team at Verité Research, where he is involved in research spanning several thematic areas, including ethical journalism, language and media polarization, and ethno-religious violence in the country. He holds an L.L.B. from the University of London and is currently reading for a BA, specialising in English Language and Literature at the University of Colombo.

Raj Prabu Rajakulendran

Analyst

Raj is a Lead Economist in the Economics team at Verité Research and an analyst at FactCheck.lk.  At Verité Research, Raj has contributed to research and analysis on public finance, macroeconomics, governance, and debt restructuring. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management (First Class) from the University of London.

Sumini Siyambalapitiya

Analyst

Sumini Siyambalapitiya is a former Lead Analyst in the Economics team of Verité Research and serves at FactCheck.lk. Her work at Verité Research spans across socioeconomics, public policy and public finance. She holds a B.A. in Mathematics/Economics and Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies from Lafayette College USA. She is currently reading for Economic Policies for the Global Transition (EPOG+), an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in economics, supported by the European Union.

Mathisha Arangala

Analyst

Mathisha is a Lead Economist in the Economics team at Verité Research and serves as an analyst to FactCheck.lk. At Verité Research he is involved in research in areas relating to trade facilitation, trade policy reform, logistics and international relations. He holds a Bachelor of Business and Commerce in Economics and Banking & Finance from Monash University Malaysia and a Higher Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaike Centre for International Relations (BCIS).

Anushan Kapilan

Anushan Kapilan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from the London School of Economics, alongside a CFA Program Level 1 certification.

He also completed his MSc in Economics from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany, his research interests span public finance, macroeconomics, long-run development, and investment analysis. His key publications include; “Charting a path towards debt sustainability for Sri Lanka”, “Public Report on the 2021 Budget: Assessment of the Fiscal, Financial and Economic Assumptions used in the Budget Estimates”, “Facing a Second Wave of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka: Economic Cost of a Lockdown Strategy”.

During his tenure at Verité Research,  Mr. Kapilan led the development of Publicfinance.lk, a premier platform for public finance information and led the development of a Macroeconomics product. 

He has also provided technical support to parliamentary committees and led the research on the investment of the EPF, including representing Verite at the RTI Commissions. 

He has also taught at Horizon campus and Salford International School.

Harshana Wickramaarachchi

Harshana is a research analyst specialising in sovereign debt restructuring and public debt management. He also serves as the investment analyst for the company’s Investment Committee. With over five years of experience in treasury operations, investment analysis, and capital market advisory, he has gained valuable expertise working at First Capital Holdings PLC, a leading investment institution in Sri Lanka, and the Treasury Department of Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited, a fully integrated cement manufacturer in Sri Lanka.  

Harshana pursued a Master of Science in Financial Economics from the International College of Economics and Finance (ICEF) at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia. He earned a full scholarship as a winner of the Open Doors Olympiad Master Track in Economics and Econometrics (2020/21). He has also worked as a research trainee at ICEF’s International Research and Educational Laboratory for Financial Economics, gaining research experience in portfolio optimisation by bond funds during sovereign defaults and modeling the dynamics of liquidity in financial markets under the guidance of Prof. Udara Peiris.

He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of London, United Kingdom, graduating with Second Class Upper Honors, and has completed a Diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.  

Harshana is committed to advancing his research in public debt management, energy economics, and sustainable bond structuring, with the goal of developing innovative solutions to tackle the country’s complex economic challenges.

Chathuni Pabasara

Chathuni Pabasara is a Research Analyst in the Economics Team at Verité Research. Prior to joining Verité, she worked as an Analyst for the International Development Practice at PwC Sri Lanka. She has also worked as a Senior Research Assistant at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI). She received her Bachelor of Business and Commerce in Applied Economics from Monash University Malaysia and is currently a graduate student in Economics at the University of Colombo.

Portia Kemps

Portia Kemps is a Research Analyst in the Economics team at Verité Research and is a node for FactCheck.lk.  Her current work at Verité Research revolves around the socio economics pillar, particularly on poverty, public sentiment and gender. She holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Peradeniya and a Master of Data Analytics from the University of Kelaniya.