Dhammaloka Thera allowed to travel abroad for five weeks

Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera whose passport was impounded by Court, was yesterday permitted to travel abroad, by the Colombo High Court.

The passport was impounded as part of an indictment filed by the Attorney General over the alleged offence of possessing an elephant without a valid licence.

Ven.Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera through his lawyer, had requested Colombo High Court Judge Sampath Wijeratne that his passport be released for a five week period.

He wants to visit several countries including Taiwan to attend Dhamma sermon programs.

Accordingly, Dhammaloka Thera was permitted to travel abroad and his passport was ordered to be released until January 18 by the High Court.

The Attorney General (AG) had filed an indictment against Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera on two counts for allegedly possessing a baby elephant without a valid licence.

The indictment has been filed over two counts come under section 22 (12) of the Fauna and Flora Protection (Amendment) Act, No.22 of 2009 and section 5(3) (a) of Public Property Act.

The Attorney General had named 19 persons as witnesses in the case and three documents as production items in the case.The Wildlife Department officials had taken into custody a two and half year-old elephant calf which was found inside the Alan Mathiniyaramaya Temple in Polhengoda on January 28, 2015.

The Attorney General maintained that Dhammaloka Thera had possessed a stolen property, a baby elephant without a valid licence, an offence under the Fauna and Flora Act.

The Attorney General further alleged that the accused had also committed a punishable offence under the Public Property Act since he had intentionally kept a baby elephant without a valid licence.

The Attorney General alleged that the accused had committed this offence on or around January 28, 2015 with the Colombo High Court’s jurisdiction.This case is to be taken up for trial on January 23. 

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