Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero has been convicted of four Contempt of Court charges and sentenced by the Appeal Court to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, to be completed within 6 years.

The verdict was delivered by the President of Court of Appeal, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Gunaratne.

According to the judges, Gnanasara Thero has been convicted of four charges filed against him for the Contempt of Court.

The Appeals Court ordered to inform the Superintendent of Welikada Prison regarding the verdict of the court.

Defendant Gnanasara Thero was not present at the hearing when the verdict was delivered, and the defense counsel informed the court that his client had been admitted to Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital for health reasons.

The Attorney General had filed the case against Gnanasara Thero following a petition submitted to the Appeals Court by the Former Homagama Magistrate and current Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake.

General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation Ven. Gnanasara Thero was sentenced to 6 months of rigorous imprisonment on June 14, for threatening Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda within the Homagama court premises.

Former Homagama Magistrate and present Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake, Deputy Solicitor General Dileep Peiris and prison officers had given statements against Gnanasara Thero.

However, defendant Gnanasara Thero had declared innocence, when the charges were presented at the hearing, claiming that he did not have a motive for the contempt of court and that the situation occured when he became sensitive to the rejection of bail plea of the military intelligence officers who contributed to free the country.