Gnanasara Thera Case: Prosecution concludes giving evidence | Daily News

Gnanasara Thera Case: Prosecution concludes giving evidence

 

The Court of Appeal hearing the contempt of court action filed against Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera  over his alleged offensive behavior inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court today concluded recording evidence from prosecution witnesses.

When the matter came up for inquiry before Court of Appeal (CA) Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya and Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Attorney-at-law Upul Kumarapperuma and the registrar of Homagama Magistrate's court gave evidence.

Former Homage Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake who is now serving as a Colombo Additional Magistrate and Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris had also given evidence in this regard. 

Further inquiry fixed for September 21.

Senior Deputy Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya appeared for the Attorney General. President's Counsel Manohara de Silva appeared for Gnanasara Thera.

In a surprising turn of events, on January 25, Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera began to address Open Court after the court hearing pertaining to the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda was over. Later on, Gnanasara Thera was arrested by police on the charges of contempt of courts, obstructing Court proceedings and intimidating a public servant.

Former Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake had referred this Contempt of Court action to the Court of Appeal since it is vested with powers to inquire such a complaint.

Through this contempt of Court action, the Homagama Magistrate has sought Appeal Court’s jurisdiction to consider whether the alleged offensive behavior and utterance of Gnanasara Thera inside the Court amounts to Contempt of Court. He further sought Court’s jurisdiction to take necessary legal action against Gnanasara Thera if the charges leveled against him amounts to Contempt of Court. 

At a previous occasion, the Attorney General filed the amended charge sheet comprising four counts alleging that the accused had committed a punishable offence which comes under Article 105 of the constitution.


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