Ranjan pleads guilty in second contempt of court case
March 25, 2022 03:37 pm
Former Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake has pleaded guilty to the second case filed against him over contempt of court.
The case was taken up before Supreme Court judges Buwaneka Aluwihare, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Gamini Amarasekara today.
Ramanayake, who is currently serving four-year rigorous imprisonment over another contempt of court charge, was escorted to the court premises by the prison officials.
The former parliamentarian had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges in the second contempt of court case.
However, when the case was taken up today, President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda, the attorney representing Ramanayake, said his client is ready to plead guilty to the charges.
When inquired by the judge bench, Ramanayake acknowledged that he is guilty of the charges laid against him in the second contempt of court case which was filed against him over a statement he had made during the ‘Wada Pitiya’ program telecast on TV Derana.
Ramanayake said he had no intention of insulting or denigrating the Supreme Court, however, offered an unconditional apology.
Subsequently, Ramanayake’s attorney requested the court to assign a date to present the written submissions in this regard.
Meanwhile, Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Tennakoon, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, pointed out that in a case as such the court has the jurisdiction to impose a prison sentence, a fine, or both on the accused, calling on the judge bench to decide on an appropriate action based on the facts presented.
The judge bench ordered to present the written submissions pertaining to the case on the 4th of May and indefinitely adjourned the pronouncing of the verdict of the lawsuit.
The case had been filed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, accusing Ramanayake of committing contempt of court through a statement he had made with regard to the composition of the Supreme Court judge bench hearing the FR petitions filed against the former President’s dissolution of Parliament in 2018.
