Gnanasara Thera court appearance postponed following surgery

The Attorney General’s Department has filed a motion with the Court of Appeal seeking to enforce a prison sentence previously imposed on Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, the general secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).

The legal action stems from a 2018 conviction for four counts of contempt of court. The charges were related to an incident in January 2016 at the Homagama Magistrate’s Court, where Gnanasara Thera allegedly disrupted proceedings by shouting at state prosecutors and the magistrate during a hearing regarding the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. Although he was sentenced to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment to be served concurrently over six years, he served less than nine months before receiving a presidential pardon in May 2019.

During a recent hearing, Gnanasara Thera failed to appear in court. His counsel informed the court that he is currently recovering from gallbladder surgery. Following an agreement with the Attorney General’s Department, the Court of Appeal has postponed the proceedings until Gnanasara Thera is physically able to attend in person.