* Sri Lanka's extremist Buddhist monk who ignored court orders to be arrested

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya issued warrants to arrest the leader monk of Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaaththe Gnanasara and to produce him in court for organizing a protest before the Bribery or Corruption Commission ignoring the court orders.

The extremist monk did not care the summons and hid away from the court yesterday.

The Buddhist monks and the politicians who protested the Bribery or Corruption Commission investigating the complaints against former Secretary of Ministry of Defense were granted bail.

The lawyers appearing for the suspects argued they had not received the court order to ban the protest. They said their clients had no time to view television to know about the ban. They further argued the protest was peaceful and police had verified it. The magistrate asked if chanting Pirith on public roads blocking the movement of the citizens legal. He questioned police why the suspects were not arrested immediately for organizing an illegal protest. Police said they acted to prevent breach of public peace.

One of the suspects, Janaka Priyantha Bandara, was a politician turned former magistrate who was accused of malpractices.

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