The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dhammika Ranatunga has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court in connection with the case filed against him for allegedly intimidating journalists.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya ordered that the defendant be released on two personal bails of Rs 100,000 each and also severely warned him.
Ranatunga, who is the brother of Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, was caught on camera allegedly threatening media personnel at the Colombo High Court premises when the bail application of former CEO of CSN television channel Nishantha Ranatunga was taken up on March 16.
Dhammika Ranatunga had threatened several journalists who were at the court premises to cover the case and even captured the faces the journalists present using his mobile phone.
A complaint was lodged with Keselwatta Police on the same day accusing the SLPA chairman of verbally abusing and threatening the journalists from electronic media who were recording video footage of the former arriving at the court.
The following day court notice issued on the SLPA Chairman to appear in court while on March 18 he had reported to the Keselwatte Police station along with his lawyer and undertaken to appear before court today (March 24).
