Gnanasara Thera shouted "poxxxxx" in courts -- Magistrate gives evidence

Gnanasara Thera shouted "poxxxxx" in courts -- Magistrate gives evidence

The first witness, Colombo Additional Magistrate Ranga Dissanayaka commencing inquiries into the charge sheet forwarded against General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera for having defamed the judiciary by comporting himself in a catankerous manner at Homagama Courts had this to say:

"I have served as a Magistrate for 12 years since October 6, 2006. A thing like this has never occured during that

period. A case relating to the disappearance of News Correspondent Pradeep Ekneligoda was heard  at Homagama Magistrate Court. On January 25th 2016 something special took place in relation to this case. After inquiring into the case I ordered that 6 suspects be further taken into remand custody. A short while later another case was brought up before court. Simultaneously something extraordinary happened. A thera who was seated happened to get up from his seat and proceed towards the bench.

The distance between where I was and the thera was about 15 feet. The thera concerned was shouting out saying as if delivering a speech 'Army personnel have been imprisoned ... Tigers have been exonerated. We don't accept White Man's law!' Nobody could speak out like that without permission of court. I was instantly dumbfounded. Though I summoned the Court Interpreter and told him to ask the thera how to comport himself the latter continued voicing his opinion. That statement however was not a case of pleading as such. I felt that it was expressed in the manner of an order. I realised that what he inferred by saying Army personnel were those suspects.

Just then Attorney-at-Law Mr. Upul Kumarapperuma the crown counsel who appeared on behalf of the prejudiced party, entered court. Then the thera's voice became even more demanding. 'I don't need to listen to ideas of lawyers representing the State. They are poxxxxs of the Attorney General', he said. Making that statement he left court premises in the company of other theras. I realised that challenging the judiciary and speaking in a threatening manner against the crown counsel tantamounts to punishment by law. As such I ordered Homagama Headquarters Police Inspector to take this thera into custody and to produce him before court according to the code of criminal law.

Before that I have seen this thera through mass media. But I made a request from other lawyers to identify this thera. From then onwards Mr. Upali Senaratna who is an Attorney-at-Law identified him as Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.