Warrant for Gnanasara Thero who evaded court

The Court of Appeal today (29) issued a warrant for the immediate arrest and production before court of Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena organization, due to his failure to appear before court and to submit proper medical reports to confirm his medical condition.

This order was issued by the Court of Appeal bench comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake, and it was further ordered that the relevant warrant be executed immediately through the Inspector General of Police. Accordingly, he must be compulsorily produced before the court on October 01.

Gnanasara Thero did not appear in court this morning when a motion filed by the Attorney General regarding the re-enforcement of the prison sentence imposed on him for contempt of court was considered. On that occasion, President's Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing on his behalf, informed the court that his client had undergone surgery and was currently recuperating at the temple.

However, as no medical reports were submitted to confirm his medical condition, the Attorney General's Department strongly objected and requested the court to issue a warrant. Subsequently, when the case was called again in the afternoon, the bench announced this arrest order due to the failure to submit a proper medical certificate to the court.

Previously, the Court of Appeal had sentenced Gnanasara Thero to six years of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court within the Homagama court complex. However, he was released in May 2019 under a presidential pardon granted by the then President Maithripala Sirisena.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court, having heard fundamental rights petitions filed by several parties including Mrs. Sandhya Eknaligoda, the wife of the disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, ruled on September 10 that the said presidential pardon was illegal. With the annulment of the presidential pardon through that order, the Attorney General had filed this new motion before the court with the aim of enforcing the remaining period of the previously imposed prison sentence.