The contempt of court case filed against Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) President Dr Anuruddha Padeniya for allegedly undermining the Court of Appeal judgment delivered regarding the SAITM issue was today fixed for further inquiry by the Court of Appeal.
Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice (President) Priyantha Fernando and Justice Sampath Abeykoon fixed the case to be taken up for inquiry on November 8.
On December 6, 2017, the Court of Appeal decided to overrule the preliminary objections raised by Dr Padeniya.
The Court of Appeal had earlier observed that there are sufficient materials to issue a rule against Dr Anuruddha Padeniya in respect of a charge sheet filed against him over contemptuous statements.
At a previous occasion, a charge sheet was served on GMOA President Dr AnuruddhaPadeniya by the Court of Appeal for allegedly undermining the Court of Appeal judgment dated January 31, 2017, which was delivered compelling the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to register the MBBS graduates of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine Limited (SAITM) provisionally as medical practitioners in terms of the Medical Ordinance.
However, Dr Padeniya through his lawyers had informed the Court of Appeal that his client was not pleading guilty to the charge sheet when it was read out by the Court stenographer.
Two civil society activists Prof. SarathWijesuriya, the Convener of National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) and Gamini Viyangoda, the co-convener of PuravesiBalaya Social Movement had filed this contempt of Court action naming GMOA President Dr Anuruddha Padeniya as the respondent.
