The Colombo Chief Magistrate today reported State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage to the court of appeal for the offence of contempt of court.
The magistrate in an order delivered today said that Gamage’s statement to a local TV station claiming that an order of the magistrate was leaked before it was delivered was a deliberate act of contempt.
This was after Counsel Hafeel Farisz made submissions regarding the statement by Gamage alleging that his client Oshala Herath published the order before it was delivered.
On April 24 the Magistrate made an order saying that there was sufficient evidence for the Criminal Investigations Department to arrest Gamage for violating the Immigrants and Emigrants Act.
Farisz said Gamage’s statement was made to influence the court of appeal which was due to deliver judgement in a matter regarding her Parliamentary seat on June 6.
An Officer in Charge of the CID S. Senarathne told the court that his investigation revealed that the order of the magistrate was not leaked to the media.
Magistrate Prasanna Alwis said that the statement was a blatant act of contempt and only the court of appeal could impose the punishment her statement deserves. (NewsWire)