The Criminal Investigation Department has opened a contempt-of-court investigation against six prominent opposition figures over media statements made after the hospitalisation of detained former intelligence chief Suresh Salley, telling the Colombo Fort Magistrate on Monday that the comments may amount to an organised effort to obstruct the Easter Sunday attacks investigation.
The six named in the CID’s motion are sitting Mawbima Janatha Party MP Dilith Jayaweera; former ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila; Sugeeshwara Bandara, who served as private secretary to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa; and political commentators Mahinda Pathirana and Asanka Navaratne.
In a detailed report filed before Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, investigators said the individuals had — particularly in the period following Salley’s admission to the Colombo National Hospital from CID custody on June 7 — made statements through electronic media and Facebook that “created public dissatisfaction, suspicion, disrespect, and contempt toward the judicial process” and amounted to “organised and deliberate efforts that could adversely affect the investigation”.
The CID said charges would be filed against the six before the Court of Appeal under the Contempt of a Court, Tribunal or Institution Act, No. 8 of 2024. Investigators asked the Magistrate to issue summons requiring the individuals to appear before the Fort Court on July 1, NewsFirst and Ada Derana reported.
Magistrate Amarasena declined to issue those summons at this stage, ruling that the court had only been informed of the start of investigations and that proceedings under the 2024 Act should be pursued before the Court of Appeal rather than the Magistrate’s Court. He directed that the six would be required to appear before the appellate court after the probe concludes.
The Magistrate did grant the CID’s requests to obtain unedited video footage from eight electronic media institutions that broadcast the relevant statements, and to record statements under Section 124 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act from camera operators, journalists, presenters, directors and other media personnel involved.
CID investigators also told the court that a magistrate’s presence would be needed at the National Hospital to examine Salley, after the Fort Magistrate earlier ruled that he lacked authority under the PTA framework to grant lawyer and family visits. Magistrate Amarasena directed that the examination be carried out by the Maligakanda Magistrate before June 20. The contempt case is next scheduled for July 1 at 2:00 p.m.
The probe widens an already crowded accountability cluster around the Easter investigation. Salley remains under Prevention of Terrorism Act detention orders and his family has said his condition is deteriorating, while opposition parties, the Asgiri Mahanayake, former MPs and Sarvajana Balaya have written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake calling for his treatment to be reviewed.
