UNP Leader, Gen. Secy. ordered to file answers

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo District Judge Sisira Ratnayake yesterday ordered UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake for the last time to file answers in connection with cases filed by 11 UNP members who joined the Government and assumed duties as ministers, against their suspension from the party membership and membership from the working committee.

The Court earlier issued an interim injunction preventing Wickremesinghe from suspending the 11 UNP Members from the Party and from their membership of the Working Committee.

The Court issued the interim injunction preventing the suspension of Karu Jayasuriya, G. L. Pieris, Bandula Gunawardana, Rajitha Senaratne, Milinda Moragoda, Gamini Lokuge, Neomal Perera, M. M. Musthafa, Mano Wijeratne, P. Dayaratne and Hemakumara Nanayakkara from the UNP working Committee by means of a letter dated February 7, signed by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The eleven UNP parliamentarians who joined the Government filed eleven separate plaints through Sudath Perera Associates before the District Court citing UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake.

President's Counsel Romesh de Silva, Attorneys Harsha Amarasekara, Kanchana Pieris and Sugath Caldera instructed by Sudath Perera Associates appeared for the plaintiffs.