The Attorney General has filed indictment before the Colombo High Court against suspended Magistrate Thilina Gamage and three others for keeping an elephant calf without valid a license.
The other defendants in the case include former Assistant Director of the Wildlife Department Upali Padmasiri, a former employee of the department Priyanka Snajeewani and the Chandraratne Bandara Yatawara, the previous owner of the elephant calf.
The AG has filed the indictments against the suspended magistrate and other defendants on 25 counts, accusing them of committing a crime under the Public Properties Act by keeping the elephant calf named ‘Sakura’ using a forged license.
The AG’s Coordinating Officer stated that the value of the elephant calf in question has been estimated as Rs 6,970,000.
