The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero who was arrested by police yesterday (03) following the issuance of an open warrant has been brought before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
Gnanasara Thero was arrested by officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) last afternoon at an Aranya Senasanaya in Thiniyawala.
The Thero was arrested following an order issued by the Court of Appeal in connection with contempt of court proceedings arising from the case concerning the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
The case dates back to January 25, 2016, when proceedings relating to Eknaligoda’s disappearance were being heard before the Homagama Magistrate’s Court. The then Homagama Magistrate complained to the Court of Appeal that Gnanasara Thero had addressed the court without permission and behaved in a manner that disrupted proceedings, amounting to contempt of court.
A Court of Appeal bench headed by then Judge Preethi Padman Surasena subsequently found Gnanasara Thero guilty of contempt of court on May 24, 2018. He was sentenced to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, with the sentence to be served over a period of six years.
On May 23, 2019, then President Maithripala Sirisena granted Gnanasara Thera a presidential pardon.
The pardon was later challenged before the Supreme Court by Sandhya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, and several other petitioners.
After hearing the Fundamental Rights petition in September last year, the Supreme Court recently ruled that the former President’s decision to grant Gnanasara Thero a presidential pardon and release him was invalid.
Following the ruling, Gnanasara Thero was required to appear before the court but failed to do so.
The Attorney General subsequently moved the Court of Appeal seeking an order for his arrest and production before court.
The matter was taken up on September 29 before a bench comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake. Gnanasara Thero, despite having been served notice, was not present.
President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing for Gnanasara Thero, informed court that his client had undergone gallbladder surgery and was recovering. However, no medical reports were produced in support of the submission.
The Court of Appeal thereafter issued an open warrant for his arrest and ordered that he be produced before court. A travel ban was also imposed on him.
The court directed the Inspector General of Police to execute the warrant and ordered that Gnanasara Thero be arrested and produced before court.
Acting on the warrant, Colombo Crimes Division officers arrested Gnanasara Thero yesterday at the Thiniyawala monastery.
He has subsequently been brought before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
