Ranjan Ramanayake granted bail
February 26, 2020 03:37 pm
MP Ranjan Ramanayake, who was arrested and remanded over charges of interfering with the judiciary, has been granted bail by the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court.
He was reportedly ordered released on two personal bail of Rs 500,000 each in addition to strict bail conditions.
Ramanayake was also barred from leaving the country by the court, which ordered the parliamentarian to handover his passport.
The former Deputy Minister was arrested on January 14, over the offenses committed in terms of Article 111C (2) of the Constitution, for alleged interference with the functions of judges.
The Attorney General directed the Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to obtain an arrest warrant on MP Ramanayake, which was issued later that day by the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court. The following day, he was ordered remanded by the court.
Several controversial audio recordings containing telephone conversations between former State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake and several influential figures in the country had come to light recently.
Phone conversations the MP purportedly had with certain judges, as well as officials in the judicial service, were among those recordings released thus far.