Justice Gamage in hot water over elephant scandal

Chandrarathne Yatawara has testified before the CID and Colombo magistrate courts that he did not own the elephant calf found in possession of former Fort magistrate - Thilina Gamage.

Yatawara was named as the first owner of the calf in the permit documents.

Although his signature was present in the registration documents and affidavit, they were signatures put on blank papers on the request of the chief incumbent of the Maharagama Temple, Yatawara has added.

Yatawara has said that he, who did metal welding work for a living, never owned an elephant and had never lived at the address mentioned in the documents.

Yatawara had made this statement to the CID on Feb 24 and voluntarily stated before the Colombo Magistrate the day after. However, he had produced an affidavit on Feb. 27 saying that his previous statement was forcefully obtained by the CID.

FR on March 08 :

At the present Justice Gamage has filed a FR petition before the Supreme Court was taken up before court on March 02, was deferred until March 08 after Justice Chandra Ekanayake announced her removal from the bench.

Justice?

Meanwhile, two more cases with regard to illegal possession of elephants are being taken up in Magistrate court No 01 and 03.

It is said that Justice Gamage too sometimes functions as Acting Magistrate in these courts.