The Court of Appeal hearing the contempt of court action filed against Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera Thera fixed further trial for December 11.
This is over his alleged offensive behaviour inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court. When the matter came up for inquiry before Court of Appeal (CA) Judges, Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and Preethi Padman Surasena, Ven. Pitigala Dhamma Vineetha thera gave evidence as a defence witness.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya appeared for the Attorney General. President's Counsel Manohara de Silva appeared for Ven.Gnanasara Thera.
On January 25, 2016 Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera addressed 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 referred this Contempt of Court action to the Court of Appeal since it is vested with powers to inquire into such a complaint. The Homagama Magistrate has sought the Appeal Court’s jurisdiction to consider whether the alleged offensive behaviour and utterances 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 levelled against him amounts to Contempt of Court. The Attorney General filed an 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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