The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (23) directed the Attorney General’s (AG) Department to file charges for contempt of Court against the former National Institute of Education (NIE) Director, I.G.S. Premathilaka. 

The order was issued following his failure to comply with a Court directive in connection with Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed over the 2024 Grade Five Scholarship Examination paper leak. The SC also ordered that notice be issued on the respondent to appear before it on 26 March.

The three-Judge bench, comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and K. Priyantha Fernando, issued the order after considering the facts presented before it.

On 31 December 2024, a three-Judge bench of the SC delivered its judgment on four FR petitions filed by a group of parents of students who sat for the Examination, following the leak of three questions from the paper. According to that judgment, Premathilaka was ordered to pay Rs. three million from his personal funds to the State as compensation for violating FR. The ruling stipulated that the amount be paid in full within four weeks from the date of the judgment. However, submissions made before the Court stated that the respondent had failed to comply with the order to date. Consequently, a request was made to initiate contempt of Court proceedings against him.

The case was taken up yesterday before the bench comprising the CJ and the other two Justices. Appearing for the petitioners, attorney-at-law Anjana Rathnasiri informed Court that the respondent had failed to act in accordance with the SC’s directive. After considering the submissions, the bench directed the AG to file a charge sheet for contempt of Court against Premathilaka and ordered that notice be issued on him to appear before the Court on 26 March.