Opposition MP Amila Prasad told Parliament on Thursday that Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena is being blackmailed by “powerful persons in the government”.
Prasad said the Chief Justice faces a threat that he and his son will be imprisoned if he fails to deliver the judgments the government wants, the Daily Mirror reported.
“This is the threat which the Chief Justice is faced with today. It is essential to save him from this threat.”
The report, filed by Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana, records no evidence offered in support of the allegation and no response from the government.
An allegation, not a finding
What was said in the chamber is a claim by an opposition member, made under parliamentary privilege. No document, name, date or instance was cited in the report, and no minister, official or member of the judiciary is quoted responding. It should be read as an allegation on the parliamentary record rather than an established fact.
The distinction matters because the same privilege that allows a member to raise such a matter also removes the exposure to defamation proceedings that would otherwise attach to it outside the chamber.
Context
The claim lands in a period of sustained friction between the legislature and the courts.
Opposition leaders wrote to the Chief Justice earlier this year over judicial independence. The Supreme Court’s determination on the 22nd Amendment was still awaited by the Speaker during this week’s sittings, and the bill is now set for debate on 24 and 25 September alongside a Judicature (Amendment) Bill.
Separately on Thursday, the Speaker threatened to remove MP Dayasiri Jayasekera from the chamber during an exchange over a privilege matter — a second clash in one sitting touching the relationship between Parliament and the courts.
The Supreme Court also ruled this week that former President Maithripala Sirisena acted unconstitutionally in pardoning Gnanasara Thera.
Not reported
The Daily Mirror does not name the “powerful persons” alleged to be applying pressure, identify Prasad’s party, describe what proceedings the Chief Justice or his son might face, or state what evidence — if any — was tabled. It records no response from the government, the Ministry of Justice, the Judicial Service Commission or the Chief Justice, and does not say whether the Speaker ruled on the remarks or whether any member sought their expunction.
No other verified newsroom had filed on the allegation at the time of publication; it did not appear in the NewsFirst or Hiru News listings for the day. Ada Derana’s site has returned a CloudFront block on every attempt across recent cycles and could not be checked.
