Nine MPs summoned for contempt of court

The Colombo Chief Magistrate issued summons on 27 persons including several Buddhist monks, several MPs and some Provincial Council members in connection with the protest held day before yesterday in front of the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Commission.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya issued this order after considering police submissions with regard to this incident.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate had issued an injunction on the previous day preventing any protest in front of the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Commission.

Police submitted details with regard to the protest which was held disregarding the court order.

Accordingly, the protesters were ordered to appear in court on May 8th.

Among the MPs who have been issued summons are..

Dallas Alahapperuma
Janaka Priyantha Bandara
Bandula Gunawardana
Gamini Lokuge
S.M. Chandrasena
Weerakumara Dissanayake
Jayantha Katagoda
Sarath Weerasekera
Roshan Ranasinghe

Among the Provincial Council members in the list are..

WPC Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga
WPC members Udaya Gammanpila
Roger Seneviratne

Venerable Medagoda Abhayatissa, Vatinapaha Somananda, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Theras have also been issued summons in connection with the protest.

Meanwhile addressing a media briefing held at the parliament complex today, former minister Dallas Alahapperuma said that the court injunction has not been violated during the protest yesterday.

During his speech, Alahapperuma urged the Police Media Spokesman to become a Rose-ringed parakeet rather than remaining a parrot.