News
High Court releases former Magistrate on bail with stiff conditions
The Colombo High Court released on bail former Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage on special reasons of being a judicial officer and considering his assisstance given to the CID during the inquiry, cancelling the Gangodawila magistrate’s order which had earlier released him on bail. Gamage was a suspect in a Magesterial inquiry for allegedly possessing a wild elephant calf without a valid licence.
High Court Judge Manilal Waidyatilleke released Gamage on one million rupee cash bail and three surties each of 2.5 million rupees. The order for bail also required Gamage to present himself at the CID every Sunday. The Court severely advised him not to interfere with the witness and to abide by the bail conditions lest his bail be cancelled.
High Court Judge Waidyatilleke cancelling the Gangodawilla Magistrate Kanishka Wijayaratne’s order noted that the order was erroneous and that keeping an elephant calf without a valid licence was an offfence commited under the public property act.
Senior State Counsel Dileepa for the prosecution told court that the Gangodawilla Magistrate order releasing the suspect was illegal as it was contrary to the public property and it should be set aside.
The Attorney General filed this Revision Application in the High Court being aggrieved by the Gangodawila Magistrate Court order that granted bail to Thilina Gamage.
Meanwhile, on Monday Ven. Uuwe Dhammaloka Thera who was accused of illegally keeping an elephant calf was also released on bail by the Colombo High Court.
Colombo High Court Judge Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne ordered to release the Thera on two sureties of ten million rupees each and to impound his passport banning him going abroad. The High Court Judge also advised the Thera not to make any adverse remarks on the ongoing case.
The Thera pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him in open court.
Ven. Dhammaloka Thera had come before the court as it had issued notice after he was indicted by the Attorney General on two charges in respect of illegally keeping an elephant calf which was an offence committed under Fauna Flora Protection (Amendment) Act and the Public Property Act.
The Attorney General cited 19 witnesses and three documents as material eviidence.
The court fixed the hearing for August 2 and 3.