Actor turned politician and former parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake was acquitted today (12) by the Kandy High Court in a case of defrauding Rs. one million from a school teacher in Katugastota.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) filed a case against the former parliamentarian following a complaint by a teacher at a school in Katugastota, alleging that Ramanayake had defrauded her of Rs. one million while promising to marry her.
The veteran actor was arrested by the police in 2010 in connection with the complaint and was remanded in Bogambara Prison. He was later granted bail. Following a lengthy trial, the Kandy High Court acquitted him of the charges.
On January 12, the Supreme Court, delivering its judgment, convicted Ramanayake of contempt of court, sentencing him to four years of rigorous imprisonment.
After the imprisonment, several parties requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant a presidential pardon for Ramanayake. After numerous requests and societal discussions, the President signed for Ramanayake’s pardon.
Ramanayake’s pardon was granted on the condition that he should not make any statements critical or derogatory of the judiciary in the future.
The former parliamentarian had made a controversial statement insulting Sri Lanka’s judiciary, primarily outside the Temple Trees in August 2017. In his statement, Ramanayake alleged that the majority of the country’s judges and lawyers were corrupt.
However, following the pardon, Ramanayake submitted an affidavit to the courts, stating that he had deeply reflected on the statement made outside the Temple Trees in 2017. He admitted that his controversial statement was completely and utterly false, derogatory, and contemptuous of the entire judiciary. In the affidavit, he humbly and profoundly apologized and sought the forgiveness of the entire judiciary.
Before his imprisonment, Ramanayake was very vocal about corruption and expressed views that those involved should be arrested. However, after the pardon, he followed a different approach.
