(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal today on Wednesday sentenced the extremist Buddhist monk and leader of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organization Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero to six years rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court.
The Appellate Court also ordered the immediate arrest of Gnanasara Thero who was out on bail pending the appeal after he was convicted by a lower court in May.
When the appeal was heard today the two judge bench of Chairman Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Shiran Gunaratne found Gnanasara Thero guilty of all four counts of contempt of court charges against him.
The Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was charged over statements he made and offensive behavior in the Homagama Magistrate court following the hearing of the habeas corpus case with regard to the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda was heard in January 2016.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake who was the Homagama Magistrate then has filed the petition at the Appellate Court charging the Thero in contempt of court.
Gnanasara Thero was sentenced to 6 months of rigorous imprisonment on June 14, for threatening Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda within the Homagama court premises.
