Retired Justice Padmini Ranawaka was summoned before the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) yesterday and a statement was recorded from her for over three hours.
The phone conversations between MP Ranjan Ramanayake and Justices Gihan Pilapitiya, Padmini Ranawaka and Magistrate Dhammika Hemapana created an uproar and raised questions regarding the independence of the judiciary. Accordingly, the CCD had recorded a statement from High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya for over five hours on Sunday with regard to controversial phone recordings of MP Ranjan Ramanayake.
The statement had been recorded on the direction of the Attorney General.
Last week, the Attorney General instructed the CCD Director to record statements from the judges who were involved in the controversial telephone conversations with UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake.
The controversial phone recordings which MP Ramanayake had with several judges was released to the media earlier this month, in addition to phone recordings between Ramanayake and other high ranking officials including the Director of the CID Shani Abeysekara. Meanwhile, Baddegama Magistrate Dhammika Hemapala was interdicted by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) last week over the issue while the Commission had also sent its recommendations to the President on High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya, as the Commission does not hold the power to interdict a High Court Judge.
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