Warrants issued for MP Manuwarna and “Ratta”; sureties also in difficulty

2026-02-02 - 16:39

Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Netthikumara today (02) issued warrants and ordered the Kompanna Veediya Police to arrest and produce before court Parliamentarian Jagath Manuwarna and Ratidu Senarathne, alias “Ratta”, over allegations that they staged a protest outside the Fort Magistrate’s Court demanding that bail be denied to suspects, including former Minister Sanath Nishantha, when those named as suspects in the assault on Galle Face protesters were produced before court. The warrants were issued as the suspects failed to appear in court when the relevant complaint was taken up. When the complaint filed by the Kompanna Veediya Police was called, the Magistrate made this order and also issued notices on the sureties of the suspects. The Magistrate further ordered that Thenne Gnanānanda Thera, who failed to appear at the previous hearing, be released on an additional cash bail of Rs. 100,000. Meanwhile, the other suspects who had been released on bail in connection with the protest staged outside court on 25 July 2022, namely actress Damitha Abeyratne, Joseph Stalin, President of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Dhammika Munasinghe, Thampitiye Sugathananda Thera, Father Sathyavel, and six others, appeared before the open court when the case was taken up.