Alleged sexual exploitation charges against Janaka Ratnayake Personal Assistant files writ petition against CID’s inaction

• Petitioner stated  that she had to flee the country and take refuge in Singapore

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

A writ petition has been filed in the Court of Appeal by  the Personal Assistant of former Chairman of the Public Utilities  Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake alleging that the  Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has failed to do any  investigation into a complaint of publication of obscene material,  sexual exploitation and harassment. 

 In her petition, the petitioner Gayathri Illanperuma stated  that she had to flee the country and take refuge in Singapore following  threats by Janaka Ratnayake about releasing intimate videos taken by  him.   

The Court heard that Ratnayake had named Illanperuma as a  sole Shareholder of a Company named General Business (Pvt) Ltd and taken  a rent of Rs 375,000 per month in cash. The Petitioner said that she  was forced to give a false statement to the Bribery Commission after the  rental of the car was inquired into by the Committee for Public  Enterprise (COPE) in parliament.   
Counsel Hafeel Farisz appearing on behalf of the petitioner  told court that the entire issue came about after she was forced to  make a false statement to the Bribery Commission regarding the renting  of a car by Janaka Ratnayake from the Public Utilities Commission.  

The Petitioner said that she had a longstanding intimate  relationship with Ratnayake and he threatened to release all intimate  videos of the duo to third parties.   
The Petition said that Illanperuma had lodged a complaint  with the Computer Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigations  Department but no action whatsoever had been taken by the Department.  

The Court was told that Ratnayake had threatened  Illanperuma with an International Red Warrant and that the Petitioner  feared for her safety as a result.  

Deputy Solicitor General Shanil Kularathne appearing for  the CID gave an undertaking that the Petitioner would not be arrested  and that details of the investigations into the petitioner’s complaint  would be furnished to the Court of Appeal.  
Ratnayake was the former Chairman of the PUCSL and refused  to vacate his seat despite requests by the new Government led by  President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Thereafter, a motion was passed in  parliament in May this year, to oust Ratnayake from his seat.   
This petition was fixed for November 15 and the progress of the investigation to be submitted to Court on that date.   
Counsel Hafeel Farisz with Shannon Thilkerathne and Rajith  Samarasinghe appeared for the Petitioner. Deputy Solicitor General Shani  Kularathne appeared for the Attorney General.       

• Ratnayake was the former Chairman of the PUCSL and refused  to vacate his seat despite requests by the new Government led by  President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Thereafter, a motion was passed in  parliament in May this year, to oust Ratnayake from his seat