The Court of Appeal has appointed a three-judge bench to consider a complaint against former ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, MP Dilith Jayaweera and three others over alleged contempt of court.
The complaint, submitted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), relates to statements allegedly made during protests against the arrest of former State Intelligence Service Director Suresh Sallay in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The matter was taken up before Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando on Monday (14).
Justice Abeysuriya said a three-judge bench would be appointed to consider the complaint. The bench comprises Justices Rohantha Abeysuriya, Chamath Morais and Adithya Patabendige.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amaraseena had previously determined that Weerawansa, Gammanpila, Jayaweera, former private secretary to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Sugishwara Bandara, Asanka Navaratne and lecturer Mahinda Pathirana had committed contempt of court.
The magistrate subsequently referred the complaint to the Court of Appeal for appropriate legal action under the Contempt of a Court, Tribunal or Institution Act No. 8 of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal ordered that a writ petition filed by Jayaweera challenging the Fort magistrate’s finding against him be taken up for confirmation of its facts on Sept. 18. (Newswire)