Maithripala Breaks Silence on Gnanasara Imprisonment

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former President Maithripala Sirisena says the court's decision to re-imprison Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was correct and that he respects the ruling.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena made these remarks in a statement issued regarding the re-imprisonment of Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero.

The statement issued by the former President notes that the judgment delivered by the court in relation to the re-imprisonment of Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero states that a technical error had occurred in documents submitted to the court by the Presidential Secretariat in connection with the process that led to his release.

The former President says the court's decision is correct and that he respects the ruling.

The statement further notes that Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero had been facing two court cases and that the Additional Senior Secretary in charge of the Legal Division of the Presidential Secretariat at the time had informed him that approval from the Ministry of Justice and Prisons was required for a presidential pardon relating to those two cases.

However, the former President states that the relevant documents had not been forwarded to the ministry concerned for approval and that only his signature had been obtained.

He points out that this amounted to him being misled.

The former President states that it was due to this alleged error by officials during his tenure as President that Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero had to be imprisoned once again.

He further states that although the mistake was allegedly committed by officials, he wishes to seek the forgiveness of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha in relation to the incident.