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Nawaratne resigns, Meddegoda acting president of BASL
View(s):Bar Association of Sri Lanka President Kaushalya Nawaratne PC has resigned, citing a malicious campaign to tarnish his professional and personal life. His letter of resignation was sent on Friday to the Bar Council.
Mr Nawaratne’s resignation comes days after the Bar Council, the apex body of BASL, unanimously called on him to resign after it was found that he failed to act with transparency in relation to the contract entered into by BASL with the Japan International Cooperation Agency dated December 11, 2023 and thus violated the trust reposed in him as the President.
The Bar Council’s decision was based on the report of a Committee comprising aisz Mustapha PC, K Kanag-Isvaran PC, Ikram Mohamed PC, Rienzie Arseculeratne PC and Geoffrey Alagaratnam PC. It inquired into the matters relating to the JICA-BASL programme to promote transparent and competitive business climate in Sri Lanka. In his resignation letter, Mr Nawaratne rejected the findings and said while its terms of reference were vague; it had totally cleared him of any misappropriation as well as of making any wrongful appointments of research assistants.
He alleged there was a pre-organised, sponsored, malicious campaign against him through the media with the intent of tarnishing his professional and personal life. “It is obvious that the persons with ulterior motives to capture the control of BASL are involved in the said malicious campaign which had an adverse impact on BASL and the legal profession at large. I firmly stand by my opinion that I have not committed any wrongdoing and that I have been wrongfully accused and victimised for extraneous reasons to suit the hidden agendas of the said few unscrupulous members of the Bar Association,” he said.
He said that it would be in the best interests of the Bar of the country for him to step down voluntarily.
Anura Meddegoda PC has been appointed as Acting President of the BASL.
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