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SJB wants real mastermind of Easter Sunday carnage traced

Published

5 years ago

2020/12/9

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB demanded in Parliament on Saturday (5) that the government shift its focus from those who had been under the command of Zahran Hashim the ringleader of those who carried out the Easter Sunday terror attacks to those who masterminded the attack.

SJB Galle District MP Manusha Nanayakkara accused the government of not doing enough to grant relief to those who had lost their loved ones.

Participating in the third reading stage debate on budget 2021, MP Nanayakkara said: Some 350 persons were killed and around 500 wounded. The family members of victims suffered losss. Who suffered the biggest political loss? It was the yahapalana government. It lost power. Therefore, it is obvious that the yahapalana government did not engineer the Easter Sunday attacks. Then who achieved the biggest political gain? It is the political camp now in the government. I do not say that they engineered the terror attacks either. After it was first revealed by Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe in this House that there were ISIS terrorists in the country, there were investigations under TID chief DIG Nalaka Silva. He investigated the matter and sought permission to arrest Zahran Hashim, who had been identified as a threat to national security. The request for the permission goes to the highest office. What happened then? A person named Namal Kumara claimed there was a conspiracy to assassinate the then President and DIG Nalaka Silva was involved in it. The person who sought permission to arrest Zahran was put behind bars and investigations into ISIS operations in Lanka came to an end. Then there was the 52-day government, which plunged the country into chaos; no UNP leader was allowed to attend the National Security Council. Only the likes of Thilanga Sumathipala, Dilan Perera and Dayasiri Jayasekera were invited to the NSC meetings. During those months prior to the Easter Sunday attacks, issues related to Zahran’s operations had been taken up several times at the NSC meetings. Today, these facts are revealed before the Easter Sunday Commission. Why the then President did not take action as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is not a matter for me to discuss. There had been warnings of the impending attacks. Even on the day of the attacks, the President flew from Thirupathi to Singapore despite being informed of the incidents. It has now been revealed that many had received prior information about the terror attacks. It is said that MP Harin Fernando’s father had been aware of them. There were some others. Who instructed TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran not to go to Church on that day? It was the then Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa who instructed MP Sumanthiran not to go to church on that day. Rajapaksa had come to know about the threat from his security detail. The Ministerial Security Division had been aware of the warning. Batticaloa District TNA MP Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam: It should be corrected. MP Sumanthiran was in Batticaloa. I was there with him when the then Opposition Leader Rajapaksa called him. It was not to warn against going to church because the call came after the incident.

MP Nanayakkara: This information came to MSD on April 14. The MSD officers were told that there was a letter in Colombo and asked them to come and pick it up. It was many days later after the attack we saw the letter. There is a serious issue that has surfaced now before the Easter Sunday Commission. Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne has told the Commission that Zahran’s group was linked to ISIS by a local agent of ISIS. Who is that local agent? He is the one who controlled Zahran. He is the one who paid salaries for weapons training? He was the one who paid the salaries to the family members of those who went abroad on their absence. Why has he not been arrested yet? Why Sarah Jasmine, the wife of Muhammadu Hastun, who detonated a suicide bomb at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya on Easter Sunday has not been arrested, yet. She was allowed to flee to India after she made vital revelations of the names of the persons who paid for Zahran and others. Zahran’s wife’s testimony was recorded in camera, not allowing the media to know what she said. She, too, has revealed some names. Thereafter, the sittings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry were suspended stating that it was owing to COVID-19. Now, there is a serious threat to the lives of those who have given evidence.

Public Security Minister Dr Sarath Weerasekera: There are 271 persons in custody. There were eight incidents and all the evidence and documents are with the Attorney General, who is due to file cases before courts. It is the yahapalana regime that should take the responsibility for the security failure. It neglected national security. It was during your time that the intelligence operatives and war heroes were put behind bars. Those factors led to the security failure.

MP Nanayakkara: Those in custody had been arrested during the time of the previous government. Tell the House whether your government made any arrests. We must respect war heroes. There is no doubt about it, but should we respect those who make use of the very same uniform of the war heroes to kill innocents, abduct children, take ransom and harass the media? The government’s investigations are focussed on the aftermath of the incident. We are asking the government to pay attention to the events prior to the incident and arrest those who directed the terror attacks and those who had links to the terrorists.

SJB Gampaha District MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka: Those in custody are just those who did menial jobs. You should arrest the masterminds and those responsible for funding the Zahran group. Arrest those who had been above the rank of Zahran not those who were below him.

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CIABOC probe: CC under pressure to ask Speaker to step down as Chairman

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/9

Thilina Walpola

Dayasiri questions legitimacy of appointments made by Council

The Constitutional Council (CC) should ask its head, Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, to step down temporarily pending an investigation by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) into a complaint lodged by sacked Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has said.

Former Minister Jayasekera said so in response to The Island queries pertaining to Kularatne’s recent complaint to the CIABOC.

Jayasekera pointed out that the CC, which is responsible for key appointments, couldn’t afford to have a person under CIABOC investigation as its head. “We have never experienced a similar situation since the establishment of the CC in 2000,” the Kurunegala District lawmaker said.

Parliament introduced CC under the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. It was abolished in 2010, reinstated in 2015 through the 19th Amendment, then replaced by a Parliamentary Council in 2020, and reintroduced via the 21st Amendment in October 2022.

MP Jayasekera said that the NPP government had turned a blind eye to his recent request made in Parliament for the Speaker to step down. He said that subsequently he had discussed the issue with other MPs and they were of the view that Dr. Wickramaratne’s continuation as the Chairman of the CC undermined the integrity of the council.

A parliamentary committee headed by Dr. Wickramaratne sacked Kularatne on January 23 over alleged irregularities pertaining to his appointment as Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff. Kularatne lodged the complaint with the CIABOC on 2 February.

Austin Fernando, Professor Wasantha Seneviratne and Ranjith Ariyaratne were appointed as non-Members of Parliament to the CC on 23 January, the day Parliament sacked Kularatne.

MP Jayasekera said that the CC should discuss the issue with the Speaker. Political parties represented in parliament should intervene to ensure that the controversy over the Speaker’s conduct didn’t undermine the apex body.

The CC consists of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya (Ex-officio), Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne (Ex-officio), Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa (Ex-officio), one MP appointed by the President (Bimal Rathnayake), five persons appointed by the President, upon being nominated as follows: one MP nominated by agreement of the majority of the Members of Parliament representing the Government (Aboobucker Athambawa, M.P), one MP nominated by agreement of the majority of the MPs of the political party or independent group to which the Leader of the Opposition belongs—Ajith P. Perera—and three persons nominated by the Speaker by agreement of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition—Austin Fernando, Professor Wasantha Seneviratne and Ranjith Ariyaratne—and one MP nominated by agreement of the MPs other than those representing the Government and those belonging to the political party or independent group to which the Leader of the Opposition belongs, and appointed by the President (Sivagnanam Shritharan, M.P).

The CC recommend nominations to the President for the appointment of Chairpersons and Members of Election Commission, Public Service Commission, National Police Commission, Audit Service Commission, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Finance Commission, Delimitation Commission and National Procurement Commission.

Jayasekera asked how Dr. Wickramaratne could continue as CC head as appointments to CIABOC, too, are made by the 10-member body.

The CC also approve/disapprove recommendations by the President for the appointment Chief Justice and the Judges of the Supreme Court, President and the Judges of the Court of Appeal, Members of the Judicial Service Commission, other than the Chairman, Attorney-General, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Auditor-General, Inspector-General of Police, Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) and Secretary General of Parliament.

MP Jayasekera said that it would be really interesting to see the response of the newly appointed civil society members to the developing situation. The SJBer pointed out that the recent appointment of Samudika Jayaratne, a Senior Deputy Auditor General as the Auditor General was made after Kularatne moved the CIABOC against the Speaker.

The JVP and NPP, having preached other political parties of transparency, couldn’t pretend the Speaker’s issue was not serious. Dr. Wickramaratne was appointed Speaker in Dec 2024 after Asoka Ranwala had to step down after being exposed for making false higher education qualifications.

by Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Auditor General urged to probe coal scam

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/9

Thilina Walpola

The Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) Friday (6) called on newly appointed Auditor General Samudika Jayarathne to begin her tenure by launching an investigation into the controversial coal procurement deal, which has drawn widespread public criticism.

Addressing a media briefing in Marandagahamula, Gampaha, ECA Secretary, Sanjeewa Dhammika, said the probe should be conducted independently. The appointment of a new Auditor General, following a vacancy of nearly six to seven months, was a crucial step in restoring the effectiveness of the state audit system, he said, extending congratulations to Jayarathne.

Dhammika urged the Auditor General to carry out a swift, independent investigation into the questionable coal procurement deals, alleging that they had caused significant economic and environmental harm to the country.

He called for the findings of such an investigation to be disclosed to the public as a priority.

He also called for an immediate audit of Lanka Transformer Ltd, which has faced severe criticism from the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). Dhammika said the audit should reveal details of alleged irregularities, identify those responsible, and disclose any misuse of public funds.

Noting that the government held a substantial share in Lanka Transformer Ltd, he stressed that the matter constituted a direct responsibility of the State.

“The audit system should not function to provide political protection, but to safeguard public funds,” Dhammika said, adding that the Association expected the new Auditor General to uphold this principle.

By Anuradha Hiripitiyage

News

First-ever monkey holding centre to be set up in Matale

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/9

Thilina Walpola

A 150-hectare site near the Kalu Ganga Reservoir in Matale District has been earmarked for Sri Lanka’s first-ever holding centre for Toque Macaques, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) announced.

The centre will feature water, food, and security facilities, providing a safe environment to manage macaques that cause damage in nearby communities. The Matale District Development Committee has approved the project, following a recommendation from the DWC.

Wildlife Range Officer Chamath Lakshman Perera told the Committee that similar holding centres operate in several countries, including Malaysia. A total of Rs. 283.87 million has been allocated for the project.

Under the plan, macaques causing destruction will be captured and relocated to the centre. Population control measures will include fitting loops on female monkeys to prevent breeding. The facility will be secured to ensure the animals cannot escape back into the wild.

Officials said the site has sufficient natural food sources, but additional supplies will be provided if necessary. Each macaque is expected to require around 70 grams of food per day.

The project aims to balance wildlife conservation with community protection, offering a model for managing human-macaque conflicts in the country, Perera said.

by Nimal Gunathilake