CBNsat settlement pending - Counsel for CBNsat

Sandasen Marasinghe

COLOMBO: Colombo Additional Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday put off the CBN Sat case to January 19 when President's Counsel M. L. M. Ameen appearing for the CBN Sat submitted that the Superior Court suggested a settlement and the settlement was pending.

President's Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya appearing for Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Media Minister submitted that the Criminal Investigation Department had conducted investigations against those television channels.

If the Attorney General was satisfied that the act of those channels was deemed to be a crime under the Rupavahini Act they would file plaints against all the accused. Senior State Counsel Gihan Kulathunga appearing for the prosecution submitted that the CID had conducted the investigations and if the CBNsat could not come to a settlement they were filing the plaint.

The CID initiated the investigations when it found that several television channels were functioning without proper licence.

President's Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya with Kalinga Pasquel and Inoka Gamage appeared for the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and Media Minister. Senior State Counsel Gihan Kulathunga appeared for the prosecution while President's Counsel M. L. M. Ameen appeared for CBNsat.