Magistrate...

Mr. Batagoda surrendered in court through his lawyers by a motion and when the motion was called for inquiry senior Counsel Maithree Gunaratne appearing on behalf of an organization called Rapid Responding Team (RRT) intervened to the inquiry and told the Colombo Chief Magistrate that the RRT was intervening to the case on behalf of the public to maintain law and order in the country and to safeguard the Constitution of the country.

Mr. Gunaratne said that Mr. Batagoda had continually disregarded court orders. Mr. Gunaratna further said that there were instances when the Supreme Court had made observations on Mr. Batagoda disregarding court orders. He asked court to consider that fact when re calling the warrant.

Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara disallowed Mr. Gunaratne to make pleadings at this stage.

However Mr. Gunaratne said he was making the pleadings under Section 28 (1) of the Constitution and if the court refuses to consider his pleadings the RRT would consider the next course of action.

The Chief Magistrate issued this warrant for the arrest of Mr. Batagoda after observing that the witness had not presented himself in court to give evidence on behalf of the prosecution in the case filed by Bribery Commission against Mr. Gunawardena.

Witness Batagoda was summoned to appear before court on Wednesday but the witness without appearing before court in person had sent his representative to give evidence in the case.

The Magistrate refusing the appearance of the representative, said a witness when summoned to appear in court should appear before court in person to give evidence and no representative should appear in court on behalf of the summoned witness.

The Bribery Commission had filed charges against Mr. Gunawardena in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court under Section 9 of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law No. 1 of 1975 for not declaring his assets and liabilities for the years 2006 and 2007 while serving as the Chairman of the Development Lotteries Board.