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Lankadeepa Editor to show cause
Lankadeepa Editor in Chief Siri Ranasinghe has been directed by the Supreme Court to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt of court by publishing a statement from the UNP condemning the judgment in the Rohitha Bogollagama case.

Court ordered to issue summons on Mr. Ranasinghe directing him to appear in court on June 6. The charge sheet was filed when the case was taken up on Monday before a bench comprising Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and Justices Shirani Tilakawardene and Saleem Marsoof.

The Supreme Court took the view that the publication of the article amounts to contempt of the Supreme Court and is punishable in terms of Article 105 (3) of the Constitution and ordered Mr. Ranasinghe to show cause why he should not be punished. Earlier National Enterprise and Advanced Technology Minister Rohitha Bogollagama had lodged a complaint against the Lankadeepa Editor for publishing the UNP statement.

Mr. Ranasinghe last week informed court that he was prepared to tender an apology to court if the Supreme Court felt the publication had lowered the dignity of Court by the publication of the statement, but refused to apologise to the Minister who lodged the complaint. The Supreme Court last week said it felt that the publication of the UNP statement critical of the Supreme Court judgment in favour of minister Bogollagama was an attack on the integrity of the Court.

Mr. Faiz Mustapha PC, Senior Counsel for the Editor-in-Chief said that if that were the case, his client was prepared to apologise to Court, but saw no reason to apologise to the Minister. Mr. Mustapha, PC instructed by Samararatna Associates is appearing for Mr. Ranasinghe while Ikram Mohamed PC appeared for Minister Bogollagama.

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