Multiple reports are now confirming that de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris was at Temple Trees with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on election night last week.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday at which the attempted coup plan by the Rajapaksa administration was first revealed Rajitha Senaratne slammed the CJ for his partisan behaviour.
De facto CJ Mohan Pieris
“What on earth was CJ Mohan Pieris doing there? Was there some kind of case he was hearing?” Senaratne asked at a press briefing with the military spokesman and JHU Chairman Athuraliye Rathana.
Mohan Pieris who has made no secret of his slavish loyalty to the Rajapaksa family during his two year stint in office was front and centre of the attempted coup on election night, Colombo Telegraph can now reveal.
Pieris together with another senior minister had been on the frontlines of trying to convince President Rajapaksa that he could remain in office by declaring a state of emergency.
It was on this basis that consultation was sought by the Attorney General whether it would be possible to declare emergency without gazetting the regulations first.
Mohan Pieris’ argument buttressed by another senior minister with knowledge of the law, was that if President Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency that would empower him to anull the election results on grounds of national security.
The military would then move into the main counting centres in the country and stop the count, preventing Sirisena from winning the presidency.
However the plan came a-cropper when the AG refused to comply and warned of serious repercussions if an attempt was made to retain power after defeat at the election.
IGP N K Illangakoon also was refusing to take part in the attempt to thwart the electoral process, calling a hasty press conference at 9:30 PM on election night to assure the public that the police would remain independent and safefguard the integrity of the election.
Meanwhile Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya who was also tipped off on the plans sent STF reinforcements to D.S. Senanayake College, one of the main counting centres in the city.
The first indication that something was being planned was when news broke that President Rajapaksa had visited Defence Secretary Gotabaya at his residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha at 9 PM on election night.
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who arrived at Temple Trees at dawn on Friday for transition talks with Rajapaksa was stunned to find CJ Pieris in the building. Wickremesinghe had asked the CJ what he was doing at Temple Trees and Pieris had said he had arrived to give a legal opinion and rushed out.
On a night as sensitive as an election, there was no legal grounds for CJ Pieris to be at the home of a presidential candidate, lawyers argued. It was a blatant display of his partisanship, which had been a major accusation against him throughout his two year stint at the top of the judiciary.
By being with President Rajapaksa as he watched the election results come in Peiris had cemented his place as the most biased and political CJ in the history of the country, outdoing even Chief Justice Sarath Silva.
Furthermore his role in trying to encourage a coup d’etat was not only enough to have him impeached but also arrested if investigations proved his culpability, legal sources said.
Matilda Ellepola / January 12, 2015
Isnt this Pacha Peiris once informed the courts that Ekneligoda was alive and only the God knows where he is was taken to the holy see to have a attendance with the Pope 2 months ago?
Does Cardinal Malcom Ranith another clown of MaRa and cheater like the Ganasara in getting plum DPL posts for relatives agreed for this?
So far I thought the catholics had a spine in this country and with this, Ive lost any faith too.
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Amarasiri / January 12, 2015
Matilda Ellepola
“Multiple reports are now confirming that de facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris was at Temple Trees with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on election night last week.”
The thieves and criminals. They need to be prosecuted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e0uQRQ4mzHU
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BBS Rep / January 13, 2015
Matilda,
Catholics do have a spine. But Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is a gutless wonder. He should resign and if not the catholics should make representations to the Pope to disrobe this shameless clown of a cardinal. Cardinal Malcolm colluded with MARA who unleashed the BBS goons to smash up many a Catholic church and intimidate the Christians.
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Backlash / January 17, 2015
Come on, people. Let’s be fair by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. OK! Some of you – Catholics and others do not like him, for whatever
reason. OK! He had a soft corner for Mahinda R. But he has a right to like or not anyone – so long as he does not bend his
ecclesiastical position in the process.
Let us honour and respect our religious leaders. His Holiness is
convinced and happy we are still a vibrant and plural country where people subscribing to different religious faiths live side by side. That is leaving aside those recent instances where BBS and other organised goons behaved more as blood-thirsty savages rather than men of the cloth paying allegiance to a religious tradition based on tolerance and compassion. Even BBS now says they did not attack Muslims.
Let’s forget and forgive. Let’s move forward under the new dispensation based on maithriya. Let us be more polite to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who continues to command the respect and devotion of our Catholic flock.
Backlash
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pradeep / January 14, 2015
Human being whether big shot or small, nothing can avail of them. Never trust your affairs with politician or any humans as all the Divine Will have been done by the Creator Al Mighty. No humans can intervene, even cardinals or pope all are human and can die any time.
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dcn / January 12, 2015
This is a very bad bahviour from a Chief Justice of a country. We as public expect people in such high position to conduct themselves in a manner which will never be criticise able. According to this report what was his function in the early hours of one of the candidates in a crucial election. How can he dispense justice in a fair and equittable manner? He should explain the cicumstances why he was there and respectfully resign from this high office immediately without further bringing disgrace to this position.
Further, he being supposedly a good practising Roman Catholic, we understand is also involved in the organising committee appointed by the church to receive the visiting Pope.
Could he still justify himself to continue in the position of Chief Justice with questionable behaviour and involve himself in the Popes visit organising committee?
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Ansar / January 12, 2015
HE IS THE MORON WHO ALLOWED MARA TO CONTEST FOR A THIRD ILLEGAL TERM, CONTRARY TO ALL LEGAL NORMS.
FELLOWS LIKE THESE ARE A CRYING SHAME FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND SHOULD BE TAUGHT A LESSON THAT WOULD BE A DETERRENT TO POTENTIAL FRAUDSTERS LIKE THIS SHAMELESS A… OF A PERSON.
HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT DO WE DO WITH MARA WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE MASTER AND ARCHITECT OF ALL FRAUDS,MANIPULATION,CORRUPTIONS AND PLUNDER OF PUBLIC MONEY IN THEIR MILLIONS, NOT TO MENTION THE LAVISH SPENDING LIKE MAKING OF FLIGHTS SIMILAR TO AIR FORCE 1 OF US PRESIDENTS, FOR OUR RAJATHUMA.
THANK GOD, WE WERE SAVED AS A NATION AT LEAST AT THIS STAGE OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABASARANI FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL AND TRANQUIL COUNTRY.
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Nagananda / January 12, 2015
Without insulting the Judiciary he should step down immediately before thrown out.
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Email / January 12, 2015
Yes Nagananda, let’s sack him according to the new “yaha palanaya” principles. No need of parliamentary committees as per the Constitution.
What are you lawyers trying to appoint and sack CJs any way. You yourselves are pretty close to criminals. You rip off poor people coming to the courts charging illegally.
You appointing judges will compromise the legal system more than when politicians appoint them because you appear before the judges on a daily basis.
Lawyers appointing judges is a bit like poachers appointing park guards.
Go back to your dinghi ‘chambers and rest until the next fool comes to be robbed please.
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Shiro / January 12, 2015
This man must be kicked out of his prestigious position. He has lost all credibility, and has shown partisanship that simply is not acceptable as the Chief Justice. This is inexcusable and unacceptable.
He is a fraud, and should not poison our judicial system. We have been fooled by the Rajapaksa’s, and they must be held accountable, for all their crimes. The Sri Lankan people have lost too much.
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Hadi Sheriff / January 12, 2015
We knew who he was when appointed he was in & out with Rajapaksa.
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S. Jesunesan / January 12, 2015
Hon. Mohan Pieris was not at least a Justice of Peace when he was appointed as Chief Justice. He was of Mahinda, appoint for Mahinda, by Mahinda. Don’t blame him. He was innocent. He was not known what to do.
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TamilRightsSupporter / January 12, 2015
Enough of this narrow minded and shallow views!
The criminal role if not genocidal role Mohan Peiris played as Attorney General to cover up the heinous crimes committed centered around Trincomalee from the second day of year 2006 is what needs to be at the top of the list.
How the IIGEP process and Presidential CoI was sabotaged by Mohan Peiris, first as assistant to then AG CR De Silva and then directly as AG shutting down international scrutiny is the topmost crime of this despicable individual.
The Presidential CoI ruse was Mahinda Rajapksa’s first clear Crime Against Humanity are all not forgotten.
War criminal Sarath Fonseka is being tipped to be appointed as Defence Minister and that itself should sum up the end of this “honeymoon” with truth and justice.
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MrRetort / January 12, 2015
What was CJ in the wee hours of 9th before the election results released. Was he plucking KURUMBA in Temple trees garden. Mean CJ.
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Aia / January 12, 2015
It is extraordinary for a CJ to be with President, not from the point of view of his collaboration with the President, which is appalling and should be condempted and sanctioned in a strongest way possible, but from the point of view of retaining rule of law at people’s hand and preserving sovereign. Say in this case The IGP and AG didn’t comply with the direction of the commander -in -in chief, understandable and that was the right thing to do, as it was contrary to accepted norm asking to go against the people mandate and, they could decline such orders as HE’s authority was also at that transition time has limited scope as his position and government during that month leading up to the election was on a care taker mode. Say these officers who said no to the President, had gone on their own way and made a deal with the army and other commanders and seized opportunity, the first thing they expected to do would be to arrest the HE and PM who being a politician expected to be together in that night. If people resisted the move and if the situation suppose to turn around, who would be calling the shot in the absence of HE and PM. It could be speaker of the house and if not then the CJ. Being HE’s brother and a politician, the speaker too was expected to have been silenced in the early hours of an attempted coup. Next in line was to take charges of the situation and the responsibility to bring back rule of law is rest with the CJ. How naive this guy had been to make himself available in that night in the same place where all the other three gathered or expected to be gathered. A situation wise statesmen trying to avoid at any cost at crucial time as this to avoid a Swiiss cheese aligning scenario. But in this case, these crooks lined up the ducks to make things easier and to give some temptation even to those who didn’t harbour any such an idea. Even after declare the Emergency, those who have the fire power can take control of, because they knew people not with them and are divided. Did not they play a dangerous game risking every thing? Didn’t a well educated person like Mohan Pearis know the importance of this position? Then again where is separation that people want to see between the executive and judiciary?.
Ranil couldn’t have asked a better question than the one he asked? But, still I couldn’t figure out why he did go there. Add to the line of ducks. Where in the protocol it says an opposition leader should act as a body guard when the sitting President or head of state relinquish his/her position? Are these guys really take these matters seriously or acting like buddies , placing the country’s future at an unacceptable risk. Luckily our second tier authorities like election commissioner, AG and all the commanders and IGP have done an excellent job to preserve the democratic way of life for time being, and the CJ, not holding a political position, should have strengthen these guys. But he was asking for declaration of emergency. Next time if the politicians behave in a reckless way as they did this time, the result might be different . They should expect the unexpected, always taking necessary steps and be safer is better than being feel sorry later. I am surprised that MP didn’t ask back Ranil the same question . I am not trying to dramatise t he situation but I don’t want to see SL doing a Burma, and to see the BBS hand in hand with the top military officials taking the similar role played by his counterparts out there to keep the extremist happy and extend there tenure.
Now being the PM, does Ranil has the balls to send a formal letter tasking CJ to please explain at the least. He could exempt himself for being there as a politician, he is a politician he didn’t violate any rule per se but very unwise. But this guy, the CJ, did he violate the conditions of the oath that he swore placing his hand on bible or whatever the document may be.
Also, I read a comment from a law student for one of the articles appear in CT currently, he with other Sriyani makes life miserable for students at law college. And, he or she pleading to reverse the situation. Will this request get noticed by minister of justice and minister of higher education or even the HE. We don’t want to see our graduate being trained by goons who could teach them only how to become crook and escape under the reader using the skills they learnt. The future looks so bleak . I am happy for MP to become an organiser of a political party or that sort. We have had CJs who set a bad example to the society, that N Silva, who openly admit he let Mahinda to get away with a murder case and says he feels what he did was wrong, only during the sunset. Discussing a verdict given by a judge in public is something even a magistrate judge wouldn’t do , this guys did do very lavishly. Don’t they have a professional body and revoke their qualification for violating code of ethics. The system when we have people like these duo will become a laughing stock?
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justice / January 12, 2015
Mohan Pieris set a “precedence” when he said that a prisoner who was beaten to death at Vavuuniya prison was a “terrorist” according to his so-called “personal knowledge” and terminated proceedings of the case filed by the mother and family of the prisoner requesting damages.
Thus he functioned as the “righthand man” of Gotabaya who used the pernicious PTA to jail political opponents and alleged LTTEers.
He should be quickly replaced, and the PTA rescinded.
I dread to think what may have happened if the Attorney General had acquiesced to MR’s suggestion to declare emergency.
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Leon / January 12, 2015
So what are you all doing.Staging a coup,at the 11th is an act of treason.
You are all bloody nincompoops.
More fart than shit.
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Bawa / January 12, 2015
If the report is true then this “cheap justice” should be castrated
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vishvajith / January 12, 2015
We should say good bye to Sarath Silva, Mohan Peiris and Malcolm Ranjith.
They enabled Rajapaksas and brought the Nation to disrepute.
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Plato. / January 12, 2015
Very strange both Sarath N.Silva and Mohan Peiris was and is close to MR.What made them blindly walk in to the world of MR? Both men lack character and have ended up as CJJ! The Public lost confidence in the Judiciary largely due to these two.When former President D.B.Wijetunga did not want to appoint Sarath N.Silva to the Bench it was Tilak Marapona then AG who intervened.Similarly,when there was an Impeachment motion pending he got away again.Now Mohan Peiris is the blotch on the Landscape.As a result of these two even the Legal Profession has become a laughing stock.RES JUSTICIA.
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BBS Rep / January 13, 2015
“What made them blindly walk in to the world of MR?”
Plato, it is called money – money the all corrupting filthy lucre. Mahinda had plenty of his countrymen’s money to throw around. And so many insatiable, avaricious, ravenous, shameless greed possessed clowns of all colours and hues, some well educated, some well established professionals, artists, career criminals and simple goons and many a yes men, slavishly scrambled over each other to pick the lucre in the bucket loads. Rest assured, Mohan Pieris was one of them. A conscience they have not.
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Pakis Pettiya / January 12, 2015
Cupboard Peiris needs to quit or be fired. Go back to sexcapades at hotels like Galle Face Mohan. Leave the decent judges alone and enjoy your wealth.
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Snowden Edward Asange / January 13, 2015
huh..How can he enjoy the wealth that he plundered via MR ? He should be made accountable, the way Mahinda made Shiranee B. account for all her bank dealings. Mohan wont have anything to say about his bank dealing and assets.. Throw him on the dock with no representation, let him represent himself. He should be in jail for plundering teh wealth and being a party for a possible coup de etat…
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Kshama / January 13, 2015
Read somewhere that Mohan Pieris has asked to remain in office until the Pope’s visit. I want him to know that meeting the Pope will not wash away his sins. And for the part he played on election night, to destabilize the country, he should be prosecuted.
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MrRetort / January 13, 2015
Mohan should go with both MRs. Mahinda and Malcolm. Dirty MRs
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Palmsquirrell / January 13, 2015
Why is anyone surprised?
Mohan Pieris got his job as Chief Justice because of MaRa, so ofcourse he is going to do everything possible to support MaRa.
No MaRa = No Chief Justice position for Mohan Pieris.
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Anura Kurukulasuriya / January 13, 2015
Prosecut the imposter.
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shankar / January 13, 2015
he cannot just resign and go scot free after the pope has left.The Minister of justice should send him a letter asking for explanation of what he was doing with MR late into the night.That itself should open himself to prosecution for compromising the independence of the judiciary,but the fact that a coup was being hatched makes it even more serious.He must be prosecuted otherwise this government the same as the last one and will give the perception that it condones such behaviour by the highest member if the judiciary.We will end up a banana republic.
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Dudley of Lanka House UK / January 13, 2015
CJ Peris in Templetrees should not be a surprise to the nation, when it was understood that it was a corrupt administration. My view is that as a devoted supporter of Maithree, MR should be treated with respect as he had large number of citizens supporting him. This kind of action only gain more respect for Maithree. Rather than opening cans of worms and wasting time, administration must concentrate on getting back the wealth stolen from the nation, hidden abroad.
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DJI / January 14, 2015
The 18th amendment was passed by CJ43 SB, but I guess she realized subsequently to uphold justice when the MagaNeguma bill was put forward and then had to pay the price. Maybe all supreme Court judges refused to bow down to MR and hence a man of low calibre Peiris was appointed as CJ. He may have asked for forgiveness from Pope Francis and now should resign immediately as I feel President and PM will not tolerate him for long.
However there is a process for everything.
With regard to M Ranjith he even tried to shame the Pope by telling all and sudry that the Pope does not come to a country 1 month before or after an election when there was no such thing. Shame on him and he should be thrown out
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