A heated exchange was reportedly observed in court this morning (02 March) between the opposing counsels in the case pertaining to State Minister Diana Gamage’s alleged violation of the Immigration and Emigration Act. 

The situation arose when the case was called in court today, following which Gamage’s lawyer President’s Counsel Shaveendra Fernando and the opposing counsel, including President’s Counsel Gunaratne Wanninayake, had a heated exchange between the two parties. 

Subsequently, Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis ordered that the case be adjourned until further notice. 

The State Minister currently is at the risk of losing her Parliamentary seat on account of allegations over her citizenship, after social activist Oshala Herath filed a complaint at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) seeking an investigation into the issuance of a diplomatic passport to the State Minister by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Herath alleged that issuing a diplomatic passport to the State Minister is against the Immigration and Emigration Act since she also has British citizenship.