Enjoining order extended

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo District Judge Sampath Wijeratne extended the enjoining order that restrained the United National Party from suspending the party membership of Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama from the UNP, till May 21.

The enjoining order also restricted the defendants from informing the General Secretary to the Parliament of the suspension of UNP party membership of Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

The Court extended the order following the defendant counsels pleading for further date for filing objections. Minister Bogollagama on an earlier date filed a petition before the Court alleging that the defendants had no right to take a decision to suspend his party membership from the UNP as informed to him from a letter dated March 26, 2009.

Minister filed the plaint citing UNP, its leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and 89 others as defendants.

Minister Bogollagama filing the plaint submitted before Court that he contested under the UNP banner at the General Election 2004 and joined the Government in November 2004. Then he was appointed as the Foreign Minister in 2007. But he continued to be a member of the UNP.