The Court of Appeal yesterday ordered the three media organizations and the media unit of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to submit to Court the video recordings containing the alleged contemptuous statement made by the Water Supply State Minister Sanath Nishantha.
The order was made when three petitions seeking to file charges against State Minister Sanath Nishantha for a contemptuous statement made by him in relation to the Judiciary and the judicial officers, were taken up before Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne.
When the petitions were taken up before the Court yesterday accused Sanath Nishantha appeared.
Senior State Counsel Hashini Opatha appearing for the Attorney General informed the Court that the drafted charge sheet prepared against the accused in relation to this incident has now been presented to the court. However, the State Counsel pointed out that the charge sheet has not been fully prepared, as the video recordings containing the accused’s alleged contemptuous statements have not yet been received, so she sought an order be given to three media organizations and the media unit of the SLPP.
Considering the facts, the SLPP Media Unit and media institutions including “Sirasa News First”, Siyatha TV and Swarnavahini were ordered to submit the video tapes containing the relevant statement to the court by the Court of Appeal.
Furthermore, the Attorney General was ordered to prepare and submit the relevant charge sheet in three weeks.
The petitions will be taken up again on December 12.
At a previous occasion, the Court of Appeal issued summons to State Minister Sanath Nishantha to appear before the Court and submit facts as to why he should not be punished by the Court for the charge of contempt of court.
However, considering the absence of the accused Nishantha before Court, the Court of Appeal issued an arrest warrant against him and the arrest warrant was recalled following his surrender before the Court.
Then the accused Sanath Nishantha was ordered to appear in the court everyday when petitions are considered before the Court of Appeal.
The petition says that State Minister Sanath Nishatha had made a contemptuous statement scandalizing the Judiciary and the Judicial officers, in response to a question raised by a Journalist at a press conference which was held at SLPP headquarters on August 23.
The petitions were filed by the Judicial Service Association of Sri Lanka (JSASL) representing all Magistrates and District Court Judges in the country and Attorneys Priyalal Chaminda Sirisena and Vijitha Kumara.
The petitions have cited State Minister Sanath Nishantha, the Attorney General and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka as respondents.
The petitions seek an order to issue summons to the respondent in the first instance and direct the Attorney General to draft charges against State Minister Sanath Nishantha on the offense of Contempt of the Court under Article 105(3) of the Constitution.
The petitions further seek an order preventing State Minister Nishantha from committing, making and or publishing further contemptuous statements scandalizing the judiciary until the conclusion of the case. President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva, Saliya Pieris and Upul Jayasuriya appeared for other petitioners.
President’s Counsel Faiz Mustapha and Keerthi Thilakarathne appeared for the accused Sanath Nishantha, on the instructions of Attorney Sanjeewa Kaluarachchi.
Friday, November 11, 2022 – 02:00