(COLOMBO) – Controversial Christian pastor Jerome Fernando returned to the country on Wednesday nearly six months after he fled Sri Lanka to avoid imminent arrest over alleged derogatory remarks that showed other religions in poor light, officials said.
Fernando fled the country to Singapore two days before a court issued an order for his immediate arrest.
According to a recent court ruling Fernando will have to appear at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) within 48 hours after his arrival into the country where he will be required to provide a statement.
In his alleged controversial remarks he had slighted Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam while, addressing a Christian prayer meeting in early May triggering an outcry from several religious sections in the country.
Subsequently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the CID to launch an immediate investigation into the matter, saying that such statements could create religious disharmony in the country.
However, the self-styled prophet later filed a petition in court through his counsel seeking to prevent his arrest on his return to the country.
In his petition, Fernando deemed the CID’s attempts to arrest him as unlawful, claiming that the police had not presented any piece of evidence in court to prove that his comments threatened religious harmony in the country.
On November 17, the Court of Appeal ordered the CID against arresting Fernando upon his arrival in the country adding that he should record a statement with the CID’s Cyber Crime Investigation Division within 48 hours of his arrival.
Fernando is also a person of interest in a police investigation into alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities after billions of rupees were found in bank accounts of proxies connected to him.
