Aparekke Punnananda Thero

Honourable Aparekke Punnananda MP
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament for Gampaha District
In office 2004–2010
Personal details
Political party	Jathika Hela Urumaya
Other political affiliations	United People's Freedom Alliance
Occupation	Buddhist monk

Aparekke Punnananda is a Sri Lankan politician and a former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Child sex abuse charges

Punnananda appeared before Colombo Magistrates Court on 18 March 2011 after admitting he had sexually abused five underage novice Buddhist monks under his care.^[1][2] Two of Punnananda's alleged victims gave evidence to the magistrate who has ordered the police to produce the other three alleged victims before the court. The magistrate also ordered the police to investigate whether other underage novice monks were abused in the Budhhist temple where Punnananda is the chief incumbent. Punnananda is on bail

References

1. "'Abused' child monks handed to probation". BBC Sinhala. 18 March 2011.
2. "JHU Buddhist monk accused of sexually abusing child monks". TamilNet. 19 March 2011.