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| Thursday, 1 July 2004 |
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Special Bench to inquire into contempt of court charges against SB today by Wasantha Ramanayake A special Bench of Five Supreme Court Judges will today inquire into the contempt of court charges against S. B. Dissanayake, the former Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and the Samurdhi. Fourteen witnesses including the Chief Editor of the Lankadeepa Newspaper, the Director of the National Archives, and the three petitioners who petitioned the SC about the matter, would give evidence in this connection, today. The special Bench comprises Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva PC, and Justices Dr. (Mrs.) Shirani Bandaranayake, T. B. Weerasuriya, Nimal Dissanayake and Raja Fernando. Mrs. Ranjani Aluthge, the Librarian of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the provincial correspondent of a newspaper were also among the witnesses. The SC issued notice on the former Minister on April 8, to appear before Court on May 7, to answer the charges as to why he should not be punished in connection with an alleged adverse remarks made by him against the SC at the "Vap Magul" ceremony held in Habaraduwa, on November 3, 2003. The former Minister appearing before the court denied making any such adverse remarks. Three petitioners in their applications to the SC stated, that the former Minister had made the remarks against the SC decision in connection with a Reference made by the President. They stated that the President in a Reference to the Supreme Court had requested to determine the constitutionality of a Gazette Notification that sought to vest the power to retire the Commissioned officers of three Armed Forces in the Defence Ministry. S.B. Dissanayake was elected as a UNF member of parliament for the Nuwara Eliya District at the last General Election. Petitioners prayed the SC to inquire into the comments made by the former Minister and to take suitable actions accordingly. |
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