Court orders police to file charge sheets against BBS gen. sec.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday ordered the police to file charge sheets against Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) general secretary, the Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera and several other Buddhist monks in connection with two court cases filed against them.

In one Court case, the BBS general secretary, the Ven. Galabodaatte Gnanasara Thera and seven others had been named as the suspects in connection with the disruption of a media conference organised by the Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) at the Nippon Hotel on April 9 last year.

In the other case, the prosecutors allege that the BBS general secretary had made derogatory statements regarding Islam and the Holy Quran on April 12, 2014 near the Slave Island police station.

When the cases were taken up for hearing before Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage, counsel appearing for the BBS members moved Court that police be ordered to be expeditious and to take necessary legal action without wasting time.

The Colombo Crimes Division which is conducting investigations into the cases informed court that it would seek the Attorney General’s advice regarding a case filed over the alleged defamatory statement.

However, the magistrate observed that there was no necessity to seek the AG’s advice in such a case and ordered them to file charge sheets against the suspects on the next date of hearing.

Meanwhile, the suspect monks were yesterday asked to step into the defence dock for the first time by the magistrate. The two cases were fixed for June 15.

In this case the Ven. Galabodaatte Gnanasara Thera, Ven.Vitarandeniye Nanda Thera, Ven. Welimada Chandraratane Thera, Ven. Wellampitiye Sumana Damma Thera, Ve n . Ariyawansa Sambudda Thera, Ven. Chardrananda Thera, P. Wewala and Pathiranage Gunawardena were named as suspects in connection with the disruption of the Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) media conference on April 9, 2014.

Giving statements to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), more than eightpersons alleged that the Bodu Bala Sena general secretary had made a defamatory statement to the media regarding Islam and the Holy Quran. They requested the police to take necessary legal action against the monk.