Judge orders GnanasaraThera to be placed in court cell while saying no VIP treatment to any accused in court

(Lanka-e-News -29.May.2015, 11.00 PM)  ‘All are equal before the law, and within courts no individual can claim State immunity or prerogatives and should not expect VIP treatment .Specially the monks must act in a most disciplined manner and  respect court decorum , and cannot act in breach of discipline and decorum, the chief magistrate of Colombo Gihan Pilapitiya  warned in open court lastday.

It is significant to note that the accused Galaboda Athe Gnanassara Thera despite being a monk and a general secretary of a Buddhist movement  was  the architect of his own misfortune – driving himself into the disgraceful ignominious situation thereby insulting even Buddhism he is expected to preach and practice with dignity and honor.

The Thera who was summoned to court on a motion filed by the police . When he was seen entering  court with full freedom he  was ordered to be placed in the court cell , and produced before  court , by the chief magistrate who was  compelled  to deliver the afore noted  sermon to the Thera. Accordingly , the Thera was held inside the court cell for sometime until he was produced before the magistrate when he was made to mount the dock.

The  magistrate while recalling  that the other monks in this same case when produced before court on the earlier occasion  were not made to mount the dock  ,gave special instruction to the contrary in the case of  BBS secretary that he should be made to mount the dock. This  was  something most noteworthy.

The chief magistrate went on to question  the Thera regarding his rowdy behavior participating in a protest with other ‘rogues’ and hoodlums in front of the Bribery and corruption commission defying a court injunction order prohibiting such protests, as well his keeping away from courts after accepting a court summons. 

Gnanassara’s answer was  , after  receiving   the summons ,  on the day he was to be present in court he had to go abroad.

The chief magistrate pointed out , if he had need to travel abroad , he could have informed court ahead , and declared it is because he (the chief magistrate)  did not wish to disparage the Buddhist religion that he did not order the Immigration and emigration department to arrest Gnanassar Thera the accused at the Katunayake airport and produce him  in court . It is a pity Gnanassara Thera  despite being a monk who paraded as a great Buddhist did not show the  amount of concern for his religion which a layman judge showed to Buddhism.

The chief magistrate once again after emphatically recalling  that no cash bail was imposed on the monks at the earlier court session  , by contrast imposed a cash bail of Rs. 5000.00 and a personal bail in a sum of Rs. 1 million on this accused monk , Gnanassara Thera . This was another noteworthy feature in this case .

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by     (2015-05-29 18:48:43)