Colombo DC issues notice on six UNPers

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Colombo District Court yesterday issued notice on six defendants including UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and its General Secretary Tissa Attanayake in connection with taking measures to suspend the party membership of Deputy Chairman of the Wattala Pradeshiya Sabah Antony Michael Cooray. The Notice returnable on August 12.

Colombo District Judge Sampath Wijeratne also issued an enjoining order restraining Chairman of Committee to Conduct Disciplinary Inquiry of the UNP V. Pathirajah and two other members of the Committee from informing Ranil Wickremesinghe and Tissa Attanayake that party membership of Cooray had been suspended. Another enjoining order stayed them from informing the District Returning Officer that the party membership of Cooray had been suspended.

The Court issued these orders after the plaintiff filed a plaint alleging that he learnt the UNP was taking steps to suspend his party membership without giving him a chance to be heard.

Plaintiff Cooray cited the UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Tissa Attanayake, V. Pathirajah and two others as respondents.

The plaintiff stated that he decided to support the Government in 2007 on an invitation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to overcome the problems faced by the country. But he remained a member of the UNP. The plaintiff further submitted that Tissa Attanayake later asked him to show cause as to why not suspend his party membership from the UNP through a letter dated March 3, 2009 alleging that he had violated provisions of the Party Constitution. UNP stated that he had violated the party constitution by the act of accepting membership of another party based on a news item that appeared in a newspaper, which was not true. He was asked to show cause before March 15. He requested Attanayake to postpone the inquiry and it was fix for July 12.

The plaintiff also stated that he was unable to attend the disciplinary inquiry on July 12 but he made one of his representatives to attend it and asked for a postponement of the inquiry as he was not in good health. But later he learnt that despite his request the Committee was taking steps to suspend his party membership and inform of his suspension to the District Returning Officer.

The plaintiff prayed before the Court to declare that his party membership had not been suspended.

Attorney Ali Sabri appeared for the plaintiff instructed by Athula de Silva.