Politics · Sri Lanka Bureau
Court issues arrest warrant for BBS General Secretary Gnanasara Thera
The Court of Appeal has issued an open warrant for the arrest of Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, who faces imprisonment for contempt of court. The court has also imposed a travel ban on the Buddhist cleric.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has directed law enforcement authorities to arrest Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), and produce him before the court. The open warrant was issued as Gnanasara Thera faces a custodial sentence stemming from a contempt of court conviction.
In addition to the arrest warrant, the CoA has imposed restrictions preventing Gnanasara Thera from leaving the country. The travel ban forms part of the court's enforcement measures in the case.
The Buddhist monk and prominent BBS leader has been at the centre of numerous legal proceedings in recent years. The contempt of court charge relates to his failure to comply with court directives or orders in an earlier matter.
The issuance of the arrest warrant represents an escalation in the court's enforcement action against the cleric. Legal observers note that open warrants allow any law enforcement officer to effect an arrest without requiring a specific court officer to serve the warrant.