Notice on respondent

Kandy District Judge R Gurusinghe issued notice on the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General on an application lodged by the Diyawadana Nilame Wanigasekera Wanasinghe Mudiyanase Ralahamilage Pradeep Nilanga Dela. The District Judge had ordered that if there were any objections according to the Petition and Affidavit filed in this case, that the respondent should do so. The case is to be called on February 09. Counsel for the Petitioner submitted to Cour t that the application is made according to section 33 of the Buddhist Temporaloties Act. It was submitted that under section 36, it is the duty of every Trustee of a Vihare or Devale to submit every six months a statement of accounts to the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General.

The Petitioner Diyawadana Nilame has sent the necessary statement of accounts, but unfor tunately for the years of 2009 and 2010 the Char tered Accountant to whom these accounts have been entrusted has not submitted it to the Petitioner.

The Petitioner has always taken upon himself to audit the statement of accounts by a Char tered Account and submit such to the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General.

Due to this lapse of the Char tered Accountant, the Petitioner Diyawadana Nilame could not send the accounts to the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner, the application states.

The Counsel for the Pettioner, submitted to Cour t that under section 36 subsection (3), if the accounts are not submitted every six months , that is on June 30 and December 30, then the Trustee has committed an offence.