From the beginning of 2025, there has been an effort to destabilize the judiciary and the Attorney Generals department.
Those seeking to do this has done so by two different means instilling fear among the lower judicial officers strategic transfers. The first of these transfers is of Thilina Gamage who was the Chief Magistrate Colombo. His brother was suddenly arrested on some old transaction and remanded. The case came to colombo magistrates court and was heard by another judge, not Thilina Gamage. But
Thilina Gamage was transferred on that reason to a civil court and away from Moratuwa. This made it possible to appoint a person of their choice to Colombo as Chief Magistrate and also bring a person of their choice as Magistrate Colombo Fort.
Next was the sudden removal of Kanishka Wijeratne who was the Director General of the Bribery Commission. Kanishka Wijeratnes appopintment was challenged in the Supreme Court. On the very first day of the case, the court adjourned its hearing in the morning and by 3pm Kanishka Wijeratne announced his resignation. The final outcome of the case is not clear. The resignation of Kanishka Wijeratne made it possible to call for fresh applications and interviews.
The rumour is that an Madhawa and officer of the NG was the front runner on marks but Ranga Dissanayake was appointed. Both are from the High Court and don’t have criminal practice. But no challenge to Ranga Dissanayake from anyone. So he carries on as the DG Bribery.
Then 02 Senior Supreme Court judges go in plain clothes to the Marawila MC and watch court proceedings. During the lunch break they enter the Magistrates Chambers and confront him and suspend him immediately. This is given wide publicity in the media so that the message is sent to all judges to be careful. As to what this judge did wrong no one knows.
Only that he was suspended immediately. When two of the most senior judges of the Supreme Court are the complainants and the witneses what chance does the magistrate have??? Asela De Silva
Next the High Court Justice of the Putlam area is accused not acting properly and remanding a lawyer. What is not known is that the lawyer was accused of contempt of court. The lawyer had been already been complained about to the Supreme Court and nothing had happened.
The lawyer had been granted bail, but had not placed bail and therefore being remanded as would happen to anyone who can’t bail out. There is a big campaign against the judge on social media. Bar Association steps in without ascertaining the correct facts and files a Petition in Appeal Court on a holiday. How this sits and grants bail to the lawyer. The judge sitting is Hon. M Lafar who is expecting to go to the Supreme Court shortly. How there can be sittings on a holiday and a day that is dear to muslim community has not been explained. When a magistrate granted bail on a Poya day, the then I asked the Magistrate to go leave the post and not come back to work. Later it was fund that the Judge in Puttalam had done everything correctly.
After this the Raduwela Magistrate was suspended and Chamber sealed. This was also done after senior judges of the Supreme Court visited the Court and attended to the sealing. Because the chamber was sealed there were rumours that the judge had not behaved well in the chamber and that was why it was sealed. Great publicity was given to this and embarrassed the judge and family members no end. Whether all this was necessary is a question to be answered as the charges that are to be filed don’t seem to make such sealing necessary. A careful study will disclose that the same people are behind all this.
