Gnanasara Thera pleads guilty to Nippon Hotel press conference case

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda  

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and seven others yesterday pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a case filed before Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court for trespassing into the Nippon Hotel in Colombo and obstructing a media conference organised by Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) leader Watareka Vijitha Thera in 2014.  

Gnanasara Thera and others were ordered to pay a compensation of Rs.300,000 to the complainant party and they were subsequently severely warned by Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, not to repeat such offences. Meanwhile, the parties expressed their willingness to settle one charge filed against the accused.  

In his complaint to police Ven. Vijitha Thera, former Mahiyanganaya Pradeshiya Sabha member alleged that Buddhist monks belonging to the BBS, including its general Secretary Gnanasara Thera, had stormed the media conference and threatened him, and disrupted their press conference.  

In this case Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, Ven.Vitarandeniye Nanda Thera, Ven. Welimada Chandra Ratne Thera, Ven. Wellampitiye Sumana Dhamma Thera, Ven. Ariyawansa Sambudda Thera, Ven. Chardrananda Thera, P. Wewala and Pathiranage Gunawardena were named as the suspects in connection with disrupting the Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) press conference on April 9, 2014.