News
Deputy Justice Minister, 5 others absent from court, Magistrate orders notices pasted on homes
Homagama Magistrate Y.R.B. Nelumdeniya this week ordered Deputy Minister of Justice Sujeewa Senasinghe and five others to appear in courts next Wednesday, over an incidence of violating election laws. The Magistrate ordered Police that, in the event they could not serve notice on the Deputy Minister, to paste the notice at his residence.
The Magistrate gave the directive after Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) for Homagama, A.J.Y.B. Krishantha informed court that a police party failed to serve notice on Mr Senasinghe to appear in court last Wednesday, when it visited Mr Senasinghe’s residence in Kollupitiya, as inmates of his house refused to accept the notice.
In this case, Mr Senasinghe and others had allegedly obstructed the police from performing their duties when they tried to prevent the Deputy Minister from addressing an election propaganda meeting in Habarakada, Homagama. Unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation, using a buffel without police permission and obstructing the police from carrying out their duties, are the allegations against Mr Senasinghe and others.
Though Mr Senasinghe was not present in court, his Attorney-at-Law, Upali Senaratne informed court that his client was appearing in another case in the Supreme Court. Mr Senaratne told court that he was present in court after reading a newspaper report that Mr Senasinghe had been directed to appear in court last Wednesday.
The incident had taken place at Habarakada in Homagama on Thursday night when a police sergeant had asked Mr. Senasinghe to refrain from holding the political meeting as it was a public nuisance. The Police had received a call on its emergency line 119 complaining that the noise from the meeting was disturbing people in the area.
The Police sergeant attached to Aturugiriya police, had complained that he was threatened by the Deputy Minister when he intervened in the matter.