Gotabaya is afraid to go before court - Ranjan Ramanayake

Colombo (News1st) - Additional Solicitor General, Priyantha Nawana, on behalf of the Attorney General, informed the Supreme Court today, the statement made by Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake, claiming that a majority of the judges and attorneys in the country are corrupt, is on the face of it, contempt of court. The case pertaining to the statement was taken up today before a bench consisting of Justices, Eva Wanasundara and L.T.B. Dehideniya. Meanwhile, the Attorneys-at-Law representing the respondent to the case pointed out through written documents that the case filed against Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake over the statement, cannot be continued any further. Upon viewing footage of Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake making the statement, the Judge bench said its determination on the measures which should be taken on the Deputy Minister, will be communicated to the Chief Justice. The case was postponed to the 18th of this month. Speaking to the media after the hearing, Deputy Minister Ramanayake commented on allegations that politicians accepted money from the alleged perpetrators of the Bond Scam. Responding to a question raised by a journalist on whether it is ethical for politicians who accepted money from such persons to remain in Parliament, the deputy minister said that he agrees with the journalist and said that based on all the privileges they receive as public representatives accepting funds in this manner is wrong. Commenting on Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the deputy minister accused Rajapaksa of being afraid to stand trial because he knows he has committed many wrongs. Ramanayake noted that he had 21 cases against him in court and he faces each and every one of them because he knows that he has not committed any wrong. Ranjan Ramanayake went on to state that Gotabaya Rajapaksa laid down his weapons and hid in the United States of America for 15 year when the war was going on because he was afraid. He noted that if Goyabaya Rajapaksa was not afraid of going before the court for cases such as Avant-Garde and the MIG deal he would not go to court to seek anticipatory bail. Commenting on the withdrawal fo 4 supreme court justices from the FR case filed by the former Defense Secretary, the Deputy minister noted that this is turning into a very dangerous situation. WATCH VIDEO FOR STATEMENT MADE BY DEP. MIN. RAMANAYAKE https://www.facebook.com/NewsfirstSL/videos/1971833036210278/