Former President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka that he has paid Rs.58 million out of the Rs.100 million as compensation for victims of the 2019 Easter attacks.
It is reported that the former President has also requested the Supreme Court for another six (06) years to pay the remaining amount.
In January 2023, the Supreme Court ordered a group of former government officials, including Maithripala Sirisena to pay compensation for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The Supreme Court issued the order as it announced the verdict concerning the case filed against Sirisena and several others over failing to prevent the Easter attacks despite having prior intelligence information.
At the time, the Supreme Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million, and former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando to pay Rs. 50 million in compensation to the victims of the Easter attacks.
The court also ordered former State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena and former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to pay Rs. 75 million each, and National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis is to pay Rs. 10 million to compensate the victims.
The verdict was issued after 12 petitions that were filed by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the families of the victims of the attacks, Catholic priests and several others were heard before a seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena had after that filed an appeal application at the Western Province Civil Appeals High Court requesting an order releasing him from all cases related to compensation filed at the Colombo District Court by the victims of the Easter attacks.
However, the Western Province Civil Appeals High Court dismissed the petition filed by former President Maithripala Sirisena. (Newswire)
