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New judge for Homagama, whither Abeysinghe?
View(s):A new judge has been appointed to the Homagama District Court while the Judicial Services Commission decides on what to do about the former judge who was arrested on Wednesday while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs. 300,000. JSC Secretary Sisira Ratnayake said Colombo’s Additional District Judge M.M.S.Y. Mapa Bandara would take over as the District Judge of Homagama from tomorrow in place of Judge Sunil Abeysinghe who was arrested by Bribery Commission sleuths while allegedly accepting the bribe from a Hanwella businessman.
His personal security officer, through whom the bribe was allegedly taken, was also nabbed. Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya remanded both suspects till Tuesday. Lakshmi Jayawickrama, Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, said they would present a further report to court on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the JSC would decide on Judge Abeysinghe’s status at a meeting on Tuesday, the Secretary said. After his arrest around 10 pm on Wednesday, Mr. Abeysinghe was taken to Cinnamon Gardens Police Station. He was held there overnight and transported from the station to court around 4 pm on Thursday.
As he left the Police Station, Judge Abeysinghe was surrounded by supporters who were visibly hostile towards media personnel gathered outside. They had also threatened some photojournalists who went to the police station on Thursday morning.
Bribery Commission officials produced him before the Magistrate at the latter’s residence. They alleged he had been caught while accepting the bribe.
Mr. Abeysinghe’s lawyer Hemantha Warnakulasuriya requested the Magistrate to allow Mr. Abeysinghe to be kept in remand custody at the National Hospital in Colombo. He said there were several prisoners who were remanded by the judge and they were waiting for an opportunity to assault him. He also claimed that the Judge was in poor health.
The magistrate agreed and Mr. Abeysinghe was remanded at the National Hospital. Mr. Warnakulasuriya claimed that the case was a “crude frame-up” and the Bribery Commission officials tried to plant the money on Mr. Abeysinghe’s security guard who was assaulted because he refused to implicate the judge and become a State witness.
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