Colombo:
An outspoken Sri Lankan politician who was jailed last year for accusing the island’s judges of corruption was released Friday after a presidential pardon.
Ranjan Ramanayake, 59, was a deputy minister in 2017 when he told reporters that most of the judiciary was dishonest and “works for money”.
He was convicted of contempt of court and was sentenced to four years in prison in January 2021, but walked free after President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s reprieve.
“I will continue my campaign against corruption,” Ramanayake told a press kit outside the prison in the capital Colombo. “I want to participate in elections and work for my people.”
The president granted a pardon after Mr Ramanayake apologized to the courts, a government official said.
Mr Ramanayake had claimed that he was targeted for speaking out against corruption. He was also arrested in 2020 and charged with recording more than 100,000 personal phone conversations.
The sometimes lewd and compromising content was leaked on social media, causing a major scandal.
Some tapes show Mr. Ramanayake discussing lawsuits with judges, police, politicians and local celebrities.
Police seized hard drives from his home and announced an investigation into whether the recordings had been used for blackmail or other criminal activity. The investigation remains open.
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