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Easter carnage: Unmasking real culprits of will begin as prosecutions get underway – Johnston

Published

5 years ago

2021/04/8

The unmasking of the real culprits responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage would happen as the judicial process gets underway, Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said yesterday (7).

Addressing the media at his Ministry, Minister Fernando said that the judicial process would help identify the persons who had aided and abetted the terror attacks and also those who had shirked their duties.

“The Presidential Commission report has made recommendations. Once that process commences, the culpability of those who committed the crimes, as well as those who failed to prevent the terror strikes, will be known. Some Opposition politicians seem to think they can get away by picking holes in the Commission report. They are mistaken.”

The Minister said that the main task of the Cabinet sub-committee headed by former Speaker and Minister Chamal Rajapaksa was to study the findings and recommendations of the PCoI and to advice the government on the next course of action. “We studied the reports on the Easter Sunday attacks at length and have identified 78 recommendations. We thereafter submitted a report to the President outlining how those recommendations are to be implemented and which agencies are implementing them.

“When the PCoI completed its investigations the Opposition members demanded its report.
When it was released, the Opposition wanted it tabled in Parliament. Since then, they have been berating the Commission. These vociferous leaders now in the Opposition, were not seen when the country was in near anarchy soon after the terror attacks on Easter Sunday. It was Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith who came forward and appealed to the people against further violence and prevented another bloodbath in this country. The nation must be thankful to him for his brave action on that day. I do not think that they could just escape from their wrongdoing by changing their name from the UNP to SJB and shifting from the elephant symbol to the telephone symbol. They placed the country’s national security in jeopardy by making structural changes in the police to form special units and divisions such as the FCID to suppress their political rivals. They imprisoned intelligence operatives. There were five secretaries to the Ministry of Defence within a period of four years.

“The yahapalana government could investigate the April 21 terror attacks. They too appointed committees including a parliamentary select committee. What were their results? Instead of finding those responsible, that PSC brought before it the intelligence officials and made public information pertaining to national security further worsening the situation. Those now accusing the PCoI of failing to identify the masterminds of the attacks were in that PSC then. Why couldn’t they make such identifications? Did the yahapalana regime implement at least a single recommendation made by that PSC? Soon after receipt of this PCoI report the President presented it to the Cabinet and then to Parliament. A Cabinet sub-committee was appointed to make further suggestions on implementation of the PCoI recommendations. We have completed those tasks and now all is set for the judicial process which will unmask many wrongdoers and offenders responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage.”

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Sun directly overhead Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala, Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon today (01)

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (01) are Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala,
Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon.

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SJB asks what Speaker intended to do about allegations against CJ

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

… stresses need for action if claims were proved false

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought a clarification from Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne regarding several allegations against Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, in Parliament, recently.

In a letter dated 31 August, Jayasekera has asked the Speaker whether he received any documentary evidence from MPs in support of the allegations at issue. The SJB MP has also inquired about the steps taken by the Speaker regarding the allegations and whether the issue had been taken up with the relevant agencies authorised to probe the assets of the CJ and members of his family.

MP Jayasekera confirmed that he had raised the issue with the Speaker, following the accusations relating to the high profile X-Press Pearl case, which received significant public attention in the recent past.

The Kurunegala District MP has also asked the Speaker whether the latter contemplated taking action in case the allegations were proved false to ensure that the dignity of the Chief Justice and the judiciary was safeguarded.

Among the issues raised by MP Jayasekera are the acquisition of valuable property in Colombo by the CJ’s son, the circumstances in which he was able to procure the property, as well as accusations regarding the CJ’s birth certificate, marriage certificate and birth certificates of his children.

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Navy Chief attends strategic-level discussions in Delhi

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Navy Chief Vice Admiral Damian Fernando held a series of strategic-level discussions with senior Indian defence and military officials during a three-day official visit to New Delhi. He returned on Sunday (30).

Navy Headquarters said that the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen maritime security cooperation between the two Navies in support of security in the Indian Ocean region. They also exchanged views on expanding training opportunities and capacity-building programmes, as well as other areas of bilateral importance.

During his visit to New Delhi, Vice Admiral Fernando also held official discussions with India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General N.S. Raja Subramani, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and defence industry representatives. Discussions at these meetings focused on bilateral defence cooperation, joint training programmes, and opportunities to enhance air and maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.

As part of efforts to further expand cooperation in naval training and professional development, Vice Admiral Fernando also met Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Naval Command, at its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. The two sides discussed existing naval training exchange programmes and opportunities for introducing and expanding further training initiatives. The meeting followed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy’s visit to INS Dronacharya, the Indian Navy’s training establishment where he previously completed the Long Gunnery and Missile Course.