Court of Appeal to Deliver Ruling on Contempt of Court Complaint Against Wimal, Udaya and Others on January 12
The Court of Appeal has ordered that its ruling on whether there is a prima facie case in the contempt of court complaint filed by the Fort Magistrate against Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Dilith Jayaweera and three others will be delivered on January 12.
The complaint was filed against six individuals over alleged contemptuous statements made in connection with the arrest and detention of former State Intelligence Service Chief Suresh Sallay.
The six respondents are Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Dilith Jayaweera, Asanka Navaratne, Mahinda Pathirana and Sugishwara Bandara.
The preliminary consideration of the complaint continued for the third consecutive day before the Court of Appeal today (13).
Appearing on behalf of Wimal Weerawansa, a President's Counsel argued that his client had made no reference to the court or the judge in his statements concerning Sallay.
However, the Deputy Solicitor General, appearing for the Attorney General, submitted that the respondents had made the controversial statements while the Magistrate was due to deliver two orders concerning Suresh Sallay.
He further stated that Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Sugishwara Bandara and Asanka Navaratne had made the statements before the ruling scheduled for June 10.
During the proceedings, Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya questioned the Deputy Solicitor General on whether the Court of Appeal had the authority to inquire into complaints relating to contempt of court committed against lower courts.
In response, the Deputy Solicitor General pointed out that legal provisions existed to exercise such authority.
He further maintained that sufficient grounds had been presented to establish a prima facie case of contempt of court against the respondents, prompting the Magistrate to file the complaint.
