Court orders AG to file contempt charges against Deshabandu

25 April 2025 07:12 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 27 Bookmark

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By Bhagya Silva

Matara Magistrate Aruna Indrajith Buddhadasa today directed the Attorney General to initiate proceedings before the Court of Appeal against former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, who is accused of contempt of court for allegedly violating conditions imposed upon his release on bail.

Based on submissions made in court, the Magistrate determined that Tennakoon had committed an act of contempt and issued the directive accordingly.

The order followed representations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which submitted a “B report” detailing the suspect’s conduct following his release on bail.

The court was informed that on April 10, shortly after his release, Deshabandu Tennakoon was transported in a BMW vehicle—allegedly in blatant disregard of the court’s conditions. Additional Solicitor General Deelipa Peeris, appearing for the prosecution, argued that this act constituted a serious affront to the authority of the court.

It was further submitted that the vehicle in question was initially denied entry into the court premises by security personnel. However, it was subsequently allowed in following the intervention of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, after which Tennakoon was escorted away.

The Magistrate observed that, according to directives issued by the High Court Judge, vehicles transporting unauthorized individuals were not permitted within the court premises. Therefore, allowing the vehicle to enter and remove the suspect appeared to be a clear act of contempt against the judiciary.

The CID has filed a complaint under the Contempt of Court Act and the Judicature Act against both Deshabandu Tennakoon and Roshan Lakshitha Karunaratne, the individual who allegedly brought the vehicle into the court premises.