The Court of Appeal today issued an arrest warrant for Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, ordering that he be arrested and produced before the bench.
The bench, comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake, directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to execute the warrant and ensure that Gnanasara Thera is produced in court on 1 October 2026.
The directive follows a motion filed by the Attorney General’s Department seeking an order to enforce a previous prison sentence after the Supreme Court declared his presidential pardon null and void.
When the matter was taken up, President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing for Gnanasara Thera, informed the court that his client was resting due to an illness and requested time to study the motion. However, State Counsel Sajith Bandara, representing the Attorney General, highlighted that the proceedings concerned a criminal matter and requested a warrant if the respondent failed to appear. The appellate court subsequently ordered his arrest and production.
Background to the Case
The legal proceedings stem from a high-profile contempt of court case following an incident at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court in January 2016, where Gnanasara Thera interrupted court proceedings during a hearing into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
- Sentence & Conviction: In August 2018, the Court of Appeal found him guilty on four counts of contempt of court and sentenced him to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment, set to be served concurrently over six years.
- Presidential Pardon & Nullification: He served less than nine months before receiving a presidential pardon from then-President Maithripala Sirisena in May 2019. Following constitutional challenges, the Supreme Court ruled the pardon null and void, prompting the Attorney General to file a motion to enforce the original prison sentence.
