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CJ refers Thilanga's Poya fiasco to Bribery Comm.

Chief Justice (CJ) Sarath N. Silva on Friday called upon the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption to investigate the charge that an acting magistrate and two senior lawyers accepted a bribe in order to discharge Chief of Sri Lanka Telecom and Sri Lanka Cricket, Thilanga Sumathipala.

The CJ's complaint has been made against Acting Magistrate Ananda Gamlatharachchi and President's Counsels Rienzie Arsecularatne and Ananda Wijeysekera.

The CJ's action follows after a taped conversation was brought to the notice of the CJ on Friday disclosing that Gamlatharachchi had accepted a payoff of Rs. 80 lakhs in order to discharge Sumathipala on Unduwap Poya day.

Meantime, over 50 opposition parliamentarians have signed a petition to the CJ calling on the Supreme Court to issue a rule against the two lawyers, Arsecularatne and Wijeysekera whom the opposition members assert by all accounts abetted and misled the Magistrate into discharging Sumathipala.

A separate petition was also being signed by a host of lawyers while a number of artistes have also petitioned the CJ calling for an impartial inquiry to be conducted against the two lawyers for improper conduct and a violation of basic codes and ethics. The petition by the artistes has been signed by Premasiri Khemadasa, Pradeepa Dharmadsa, Buddadasa Galappaththi, Dr. Sunanda Mahendra de Mel, Lalitha Saratchandra, Dr. Carlo Fonseka, K. A. W. Perera, Sunil P. Fernando, Lal Wirasinghe, Gamini Hewavitharana, Derek Fernando, Nadika Gunasekera, Sriyani Amarasena amongst others.

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