Dinesh Dodamgoda violates professional ethics!

 

Tuesday, 13 May 2014 

Former UNP national list MP and convener of Samagi Balawegaya, Dinesh Dodamgoda, has blatantly violated the professional ethics that should be defended by a lawyer. At yesterday’s (12) hearing of the ‘fabricated case’ filed by the Bribery Commission against the 43rd chief justice at the Colombo magistrate’s court, Dodamgoda appeared as the junior to president’s counsel Kalinga Indatissa, the lawyer for the National Development Bank (NDB), a key party to the case.

A lawyer has the right to appear on behalf of any client, but one of the topmost ethics is that he/she cannot act in a manner where there is a conflict of interests.

Dodamgoda was the coordinator between the UNP and the team of lawyers that had appeared for the 43rd chief justice at her impeachment case. In that role, he had personally dealt with her and has fully studied her defences and well knows the related documentary evidence. Although matters stand thus, he had forgotten all that and taken the legal profession to the level below that of the world’s oldest profession in order for financial gains.

A top activist of the Lawyers Collective for Democracy told us that this is an extension of the indirect support given by the UNP, especially its leader, to the 43rd CJ’s impeachment, by saying parliament is more supreme than the judiciary.

Dodamgoda should resign immediately as convener of the Samagi Balawegaya formed against the Rajapaksa regime, without betraying it, and take up permanent employment in the chamber of PC Indatissa, said the legal activist.

If he continues to remain in that position, several allied organizations of Samagi Balawegaya are contemplating to withdraw their support.

Despite our attempts to reach him via Skype and telephone, it was not possible to contact Dodamgoda, who has been remaining in constant contact with our website. We hope to publish a response if he sends us one.