The Court of Appeal has issued notice to three individuals including the Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran, to present submissions on September 07 regarding the Contempt of Court charges against them for failing to carry out a court order.
Along with the Chief Minister, Provincial Ministers Anandi Sashitharan and K. Sivanesan have also been issued notice.
Two-Judge bench comprising Justices Kumudini Wickramasinghe and Janak De Silva issued the notice after considering a petition filed by the former Provincial Minister B. Deniswaran accusing the three provincial officials of Contempt of Court.
Deniswaran states that the Appeals Court had recently issued an interim order against the gazette notification to remove him from his ministerial portfolio.
In his petition, Deniswaran noted that the Appeals Court has issued a stay order on the gazette notification of his removal from the provincial minster post by the respondents and ordered his reinstatement to the post.
However, the petitioner complained that the Northern Province Chief Minister failed to carry out the court order in Contempt of Court.
The Appeals Court meanwhile, extended the stay order issued halting the Chief Minister’s decision to remove Deniswaran, who served as the Northern Province Fisheries, Transport, Trade and Rural Development Minister until last year, from his ministerial portfolio until September 10.
The court also ordered the respondents to submit objections before that day.
Deniswaran told the court that, Chief Minister Wigneswaran had decided to remove him from his ministerial post in August 2017, accusing him of corruption charges.
The petitioner pointed out that according to the Constitution, only a governor has the authority to remove a minister of a provincial council and the chief minister does not possess that power.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
