Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary pleads guilty to obstruction charges in 2014 press briefing case

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera pleaded guilty to obstructing a press briefing held at Nippon Hotel Colombo in 2014. 

This development comes alongside six other suspects who also pleaded guilty before the Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, presiding over the case, has mandated the suspects to pay a compensation of Rs. 300,000 to the complainant and issued a stern warning against any potential recurrence of such offences. 

The charges pertain to an incident in 2014, where the accused individuals, including Ven. Gnanasara Thera allegedly trespassed into the Nippon Hotel in Colombo and disrupted a media conference organised by Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) leader Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thera. 

In a formal complaint lodged with the Police at the time, Ven. Vijitha Thera asserted that the group, led by Ven. Gnanasara Thera forcibly entered the hotel premises and proceeded to intimidate and disrupt the media event. 

The list of suspects involved in the case includes Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, Ven. Vitarandeniye Nanda Thera, Ven. Welimada Chandra Ratne Thera, Ven. Wellampitiye Sumana Damma Thera, Ven. Ariyawansa Sambudda Thera, Ven. Chardrananda Thera, P. Wewala, and Pathiranage Gunawardena.