Appeals Court judges threatened on eve of hearing CJ’s petition

Two Judges of the Court of Appeal, including President of the Court S. Skandarajah were threatened over the telephone on the eve of the hearing into Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake’s Writ Application to quash the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the impeachment.

Justice Skandarajah made a complaint at the Bambalapitiya Police Station, while Justice Anil Gooneratne who also received a threatening phone call complained to the Borella Police. Police Media Spokesman, SSP Prishantha Jayakody told Daily FT that the phone calls had been made on Sunday, 6 January, on the eve of when both Judges were to sit on the bench hearing the Chief Justice’s petition against the PSC. The threatening caller had told both Judges to refrain from attending courts the next day.

Justices Skandarajah and Gooneratne were on the three judge bench that issued a writ of certiorari on Monday, 7 January against the PSC report, upholding the rights of the petitioner, Chief Justice Bandaranayake.

SSP Jayakody said that initial investigations had proved that the phone calls originated from a public booth in Rajagiriya but they were unable to ascertain the identity of the caller because it was a common phone. “Investigations are continuing,” he said.  (DB)