News
Court of Appeal grants interim relief to interdicted judge
Highly questionable issues have cropped up with regard to the ongoing case against the interdicted judge Gihan Pilapitiya, Court of Appeal Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz has noted.
He made the observation this week when a two-judge Court of Appeal bench took up the writ application filed by Mr. Pilapitiya.
Justice Nawaz raised several questions from Senor State Counsel Shaheeda Barrie and then together with Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna issued an interim order suspending the case against Mr. Pilapitiya before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court until a final determination of judge Pilapitiya’s writ application.
A case against Mr Pilapitiya was filed in the magistrate’s court following leaked recordings of conversations between him and the then United National Party parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka.
When the Court of Appeal took up the case, Mr. Pilapitiya’s counsel Romesh de Silva said that while Mr. Ramanayake, the main suspect, was still being investigated on the basis of a B report, a case had been already filed against Pilapitiya in the Magistrate’s Court. He questioned the Attorney General’s powers to file a case under such circumstances.In granting interim relief, Justice Nawaz observed that there were highly questionable matters that have cropped up with regard to the ongoing case against the indicted judge.
Mr. Pilapitiya filed the Writ petition in February seeking the court to issue an interim injunction, preventing his arrest.
The Attorney General in January directed the Colombo Crimes Division ( CCD) to arrest Mr. Pilapitiya following allegations that he colluded with the former MP to doctor evidence in an ongoing court case.
The next hearing was fixed for June 29.