Source:colombopage
Jan 06, Colombo: The Colombo Magistrate Court ordered Sepal Amarasinghe, a social media activist who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Thursday, to be remanded until the 10th January.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Mrs. Tharanga Mahawatta ordered to remand Mr. Amarasinghe, who was arrested by the CID for insulting the Sri Dalada Maligawa and Buddhism and causing religious disharmony among the Buddhist people, when he was presented in court today.
The officers of the Criminal Investigation Department stated that the investigation was started in response to a complaint made by the Director General of the Department of Buddhist Affairs and the Director of the Buddhist Information Center Aguruwelle Jinananda Thero.
The CID officers pointed out that there has been a great uproar in the Buddhist community due to a statement made on the YouTube channel run by the suspect, and stated that a hostile situation has been created between two parties on the social media regarding this statement.
The CID told the court that the Director General of Archeology has also informed the CID that a serious harm has been made through this statement, and the Chief Prelates of Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters and Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of Tooth are also ready to give statements regarding this incident.
The Criminal Investigation Department stated in court that information has been revealed that the suspect has also received money from abroad and said they are investigating the matter under the Anti Money Laundering and Counter terrorism Financing Act
The Criminal Investigation Department further requested the court to remand the suspect under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act until the 19th, as the statement made by the suspect has caused a great uproar among the Buddhist community.
Attorney-at-Law Namal Rajapaksa, who appeared for the suspect Mr. Sepala Amarasinghe, stated before the court that his client had posted more than a thousand videos on YouTube channel and through those videos, he has appeared every time to protect pure Buddhism from myths, and pointed out that he has no intention of insulting Buddhism.
The lawyer said his client made the questionable statement to point out that the government’s preparation to hold an exposition of the Tooth Relic cannot suppress the current economic crisis in the country and to save the Buddhism from myths.
The lawyer further told the court that his client was arrested with the intention of taking political revenge.
Addressing the suspect, Mr. Sepala Amarasinghe, the Additional Magistrate pointed out that Dalada Maligawa (Temple of Tooth) is the highest pinnacle of devout Buddhists. Therefore, the magistrate warned the suspect to be more careful in making such statements.
However, the magistrate rejected the request of the Criminal Investigation Department to remand the suspect until the 19th and ordered the suspect to be remanded until the 10th.
