The government has launched a comprehensive investigation into the 2019 Easter Attacks, including the two reports unveiled by former MP Udaya Gammanpila this week, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath said.
Addressing the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing today, Minister Herath said it is evident that the two reports have been unveiled with a political agenda.
Stating that the government has already commenced a probe into the attacks, the Cabinet Spokesman said the necessary action will be taken through a Presidential Commission of Inquiry following the conclusion of the probe.
“We have not taken a final decision on whether a new Presidential Commission will be appointed for this purpose or not. However, the decision will be made following the conclusion of the investigations,” he said.
Government rejects reports unveiled by Gammanpila
Government Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath said that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks and the Supreme Court have in no way found former Police officials Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera guilty.
He said the Supreme Court and the PCoI found several former state officials, including former President Maithripala Sirisena and former SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena, guilty of failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, despite receiving intelligence information.
“They had also been ordered by the Court to pay compensation to the victims of the attacks. But at no point were Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera implicated by the PCoI or the Supreme Court,” he pointed out.
Minister Vijitha Herath said as such the government will not accept the two reports unveiled by Udaya Gammanpila.
Credibility of the two reports
Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath said that the two reports disclosed by Udaya Gammanpila were by two ordinary committees personally appointed by the then President Ranil Wickremesinghe and not official Presidential Commission reports.
He said one committee was appointed to investigate any mishaps by the Police and the discovery of explosives in Vavunativu prior to the Easter attacks, while the second committee was appointed to investigate allegations raised in the ‘Channel-4’ video on the Easter attacks.
“President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended a Police Conference on 09th June 2024. Soon after on 12th June, the two committees were appointed to probe the attacks. These are committees personally appointed by him and are not official Presidential Commissions. The said committees did their investigations within three months, handed over the reports to Wickremesinghe at his residence, and is reported to have later been handed over to the Presidential Secretariat days before the Presidential Election,” he said.
Minister Vijitha Herath pointed out that it was evident that this was a stunt pulled by Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sagala Ratnayake ahead of the Election with a political agenda.
He further said that Udaya Gammanpila was also making claims over two reports by ordinary committees and not official Presidential Commissions.
Concerns over Chairperson of Committee investigating Police negligence
The Cabinet Spokesman also shed light on the Chairperson of the committee appointed to investigate if the Police had in any way failed to take action to prevent the Easter attacks, saying that retired justice A.N.J. de Alwis had been accused of wrongdoing during her service period.
Reading out excerpts from a report of the Judicial Services Commission, Minister Vijitha Herath said retired justice A.N.J. de Alwis was asked to tender her resignation two years into her appointment over allegations of misconduct.
Minister Herath questioned how such a person was suitable to head a committee conducting a probe into a serious incident such as the easter Sunday attacks.
Ravi Seneviratne & Shani Abeysekera targetted
Government Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath said the above-mentioned facts clearly reveal that the former government had specifically targeted former Senior Police officials Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera through its investigations.
Minister Herath pointed out that Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera, who were senior officials of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the time of the attacks, had been part of the initial probe, but Shani Abeysekera had been condemned by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
He said despite the Supreme Court and Presidential Commission reports not implicating the two former Senior Police officials, the Ranil Wickremesinghe government has commenced targeting them.
Stating that the government will not accept the two reports of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, Minister Herath said the government will not remove Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera from their recent appointments based on such baseless reports.
“Gammanpila and certain other political figures are gunning for their removal. They were senior officials involved in the Easter attack probes, and have not been implicated by the Supreme Court. As such, we have no reason to remove them,” he announced.
Government Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath further assured that despite this decision, the government will in no way interfere in the investigations that have already been launched into the Easter attacks.
“The government will conduct a new probe and provide justice to the victims. We will initiate legal action against any official found guilty in this regard. We will also take measures to strengthen the country’s laws,” he assured.
Minister Vijitha Herath made the statement in response to questions raised by reporters on former MP Gammanpila’s recent claims that two unpublished reports into the Easter attacks have recommended legal action against Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera, who currently hold high-ranking positions in the government. (Newswire)
