Galle Chief Magistrate Nishantha A. Peiris yesterday ordered to provisionally release the Commissioner General of Archeology P.B. Mandawala after he appeared before the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to make his submissions over the issue of giving instructions to the Galle office of the Archaeology Department directing it not to proceed with the legal action initiated against a resident of the Galle Fort who was alleged to have committed the offence of carrying out repairs on a house with archaeological value located in the Galle World Heritage Site without prior approval of the relevant authority.
Delivering his order, the Magistrate further directed the Commissioner General to appear in court in the event of receiving court notice to do so.
An official of the Galle office of the Archaeology Department had complained to the Police Archaeology Protection Unit against a person of Leyn Baan Street of Galle Fort for allegedly carrying out repairs on a residential place with archaeological value without approval of the Archaeological authorities according to which the special police unit had initiated legal action against the person.
Subsequently, the Archaeology Commissioner General had reportedly directed the Southern Province Assistant Archaeology Director in writing not to proceed with the litigation against the respective respondent.
As per instruction from the Archaeology Commissioner General, Southern Province Assistant Director of Archaeology Wasantha Alahakoon had in turn directed Police Archaeology Protection Unit to withdraw the litigation process initiated with regard to the respondent.
Nevertheless, the Police Archaeology Protection Unit making further submission in the court pleaded with the Magistrate to issue notice to the Archaeology Commissioner General to make his submissions over the letter issued to the Southern Province Assistant Director of Archaeology.
Accordingly, the Galle Chief Magistrate had ordered to issue notice on the Commissioner General and to arrest the respondent for alleged illegal constructions.