31. Prohibition on providing financial support to declared online locations

A person, whether in or outside Sri Lanka, who expends or applies any property knowing or having reason to believe that the expenditure or application supports, helps or promotes the communication of prohibited statements to the end users in Sri Lanka on a declared online location commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding five million rupees and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction, such term of imprisonment or fine or both such imprisonment and fine may be doubled.

The provisions of subsection (1) shall not apply to an internet service provider or an internet intermediary which gives any consideration for the purpose of communicating any paid content in Sri Lanka on the declared online location.

Where a court convicts any person of an offence under this section, the court shall order, in addition to imposing on that person the punishment in subsection (1), the forfeiture of any property acquired through expending or applying any property by the commission of an offence under this section.

For the purpose of this section, “property” means money and all other property, movable or immovable, including things in action and other intangible or incorporeal property.