Former Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva has hit back hard at what he called a sordid operation to target him due to him backing an ongoing anti-corruption campaign against the government.
The ex-CJ has pledged his support for ‘Voice against Corruption’ recently established by the JVP to spearhead anti-corruption drive.
Responding to media reports regarding a group of retired judges urging President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a meeting on Friday to investigate his conduct, the former CJ alleged that among those, who had made representations to the President was a person who served as an acting magistrate for about two years.
Silva was addressing a public meeting organized by the Kandy Democratic Citizens Committee at the auditorium of the Trinity College, in the aftermath of a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat regarding 14 ex-judges alleging misconduct on the former CJ’s part. They accused Silva of unfairly removing them.
Silva lashed out at the former acting magistrate turned UPFA National List MP Janaka Bandara for making unsubstantiated allegations. Silva emphasized that the former acting Magistrate couldn’t be even categorized as a retired member of the judiciary.
Although some media reports suggested that the government was to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate his conduct, such a mechanism couldn’t examine his case as he retired from service two years ago.
Commenting on the former acting magistrate, the ex CJ said: “In a picture published by newspapers on Saturday showed Janaka Bandara seated close to the President. Bandara was an acting magistrate for two years. As there were several complaints against Bandara, he said he wanted to resign. I allowed him to go. When he was leaving, he declared he would be appointed as the Public Trustee by the President. He received that appointment. Subsequently he left that post and was appointed as head of a mission in a Middle Eastern country. Due to some reason he was called back and was appointed as the Governor of Sabaragamuwa Province. And presently he is an appointed Member of Parliament representing the UPPFA. He therefore cannot be called a retired judge.”
The former CJ said that inquiries could be held by the Judicial Service Commission since records were available with the commission.
He claimed that he was being targeted by the government due to his role in the anti-corruption movement.
He recalled how the President had commended his services at his retirement two years ago.
“By letter dated 25th February 2009 the President commended me for the long period of service from October 1968.’
Dheeghayu Abeynayaka, convenor of the meeting for the Kandy Democratic Citizens Committee also addressed the meeting. Among those present were MP Arjuna Ranatunge and Mrs. Anoma Fonseka with some members of her family.
The Island: