Judge who issued arrest warrant on Wasantha Samarasinghe transferred: Dayasiri

 No arrest warrant issued against us: says Mahinda Jayasinghe

By Ajith Siriwardane and Yohan Perera  

Mount Lavinia District Court judge, who gave an order to arrest Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and others, was transferred to Kesbewa District Court just after two weeks of the order, SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara alleged in Parliament yesterday.   

MP Jayasekara said that Mount Lavinia District Court judge gave an order to arrest Wasantha Samarasinghe and others involving a land case and produce them in court. He said however, the police never arrested them.  

Meanwhile, SJB MP Mujibur Rahman told Parliament that an arrest warrant was issued on a minister on September 6, 2024 and the judge was transferred lately and a new judge was appointed.   

He said the new judge who took up the case against the minister has also been transferred.   

The MP said police has sought advice of the Attorney General whether to arrest the minister and added that if an arrest warrant is issued on someone, he must be arrested. “No need to seek AG’s advice’” he said.   

Rahman said the government has introduced merit system on judges transfers and promotions whereas it was done on seniority basis earlier.   

He said the judge who gave the order to arrest former president Ranil Wickremesinghe had been promoted to High Court unreasonably.   

He said recent promotions of seventeen judges to the High Court were approved by two members of the Judicial Services Commission whereas all three members must approve the promotions.   

The MP said sixteen names out of a list of 35 judges has been selected on merit basis for promotions and the judge who gave the arrest order on Ranil had been in the 33rd position in the list.   

In response to the allegations, Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe said the allegations are baseless and that no arrest warrant had been issued against them.   

He said the magistrate had ordered only to record statements from him, Wasantha Samarasinghe and Ranjan Jayalal before August 22, 2024 and that all three had already given statements regarding the incident.   

He challenged MP Jayasekara to table the court order if an arrest warrant had been issued.   

MP Jayasekara said he would table the order on Friday (26).     

MP Jaysekera tabled the documents later during the day but Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa and Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe said there was no arrest warrant among the documents tabled by Jaysekera. “ Judge Chathurika de Silva whom the MP referred to has been appointed as a high court judge while Judge Nilupullee Lankapura has been promoted as a District judge. The MP appears to have misled Parliament and may be liable for contempt of court.