Matara Magistrate Aruna Indrajith Buddhadasa directed the Attorney General today to initiate proceedings in the Court of Appeal against former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, who faces contempt of court charges for allegedly violating bail conditions.
The Magistrate determined Tennakoon had committed an act of contempt based on court submissions and issued the directive accordingly.
This decision followed representations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which submitted a “B report” outlining Tennakoon’s conduct after his release on bail.
The court was informed that, on April 10, Tennakoon was transported in a BMW vehicle shortly after his release—allegedly violating the court-imposed conditions. Additional Solicitor General Deelipa Peeris, representing the prosecution, argued that this act was a serious affront to the court’s authority.
It was further noted that the vehicle in question had initially been denied entry to the court premises by security personnel. However, the vehicle was later allowed in following the intervention of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, and Tennakoon was subsequently escorted away.
The Magistrate emphasized that the High Court Judge had previously ruled that vehicles carrying unauthorized individuals were not permitted within the court premises. Therefore, permitting the vehicle’s entry and allowing the removal of Tennakoon constituted a clear act of contempt against the judiciary.
The CID has filed complaints under the Contempt of Court Act and the Judicature Act against both Tennakoon and Roshan Lakshitha Karunaratne, the individual who allegedly brought the vehicle into the court premises.
With the inputs from the Daily Mirror.