Ranjan Ramanayake, a former member of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) Parliament and actor-turned-politician, signed a paperwork pertaining to a presidential pardon yesterday while serving a four-year sentence for contempt of court (August 13).
His legal counsel, Dinesh Vidanapathirana, attested to this. According to him, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had advised to signing the contract.
He declared that the President, Chief Justice, other Supreme Court judges, and Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will all receive copies of the affidavit in due time. After then, a decision will be made on Ramanayake’s release.
Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, the minister of justice, stated earlier in August that Ramanayake must first submit a statement in which he expresses regret for the accusations made against him. On January 12, 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced Ramanayake to four years of strict imprisonment (RI) for suspected contempt of court statements he allegedly made regarding the judiciary in August 2017.
A presidential pardon for Ramanayake would be taken into consideration, according to President Wickremesinghe’s public statement.
