News
Cardinal: Presidents, IGPs and AG sabotaged Easter carnage probes before 2024 regime change
… successive governments sat on PCoI report handed over in Feb. 2021
His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday (21) alleged that those who were in power from 2019 to September 2024 sabotaged investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage (2019).
Addressing the Seventh Year Commemoration of the Easter Sunday suicide attacks, at St. Anthony’s Church Kochchikade, Colombo, the Archbishop of Colombo said that unlike the present leaders of the country, almost all the power holders, since the 2019 April attacks, including former Presidents, Heads of the Police and the AG’s department officials, instead of sincerely finding out as to who and what was behind the horrific crime, tried their best to confuse the public, muddle up the investigations and appointing all kinds of committees, with highly suspect investigators, in order to come out with conclusions crafted by them, and tried to sabotage the truth from emerging.
In spite of the change of government, in September 2024, certain officials of the “deep state” were seeking to obstruct the smooth flow of ongoing investigations.
Regardless of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) giving clear directives to the Attorney General and to that department to take clear legal and disciplinary actions against some of the political figures, officials of the security establishment and organisations for criminal neglect of duty, very little has so far been done on this matter by them.
The PCoI handed over its report to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in February 2021.
The Catholic leader emphasised the need to investigate possible links between the Easter Sunday massacre and attacks, targeting the Muslim community, on the night of 5th May and, once again, on 11th, 12th and 13th May, starting from the Nattandiya-Madampe area, through Kotaramulla to Minuwangoda. The Cardinal said: “This may have a link to the main attacks on 21st April 2019. One must also verify as to whether anyone in the security establishment prevented those responsible from controlling these attacks as and when they began.”
A discussion with the Catholic Council was held on Thursday (21) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the co-chairmanship of Minister of Science and Technology, Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Discussions focused on administrative issues relating to Catholic schools taken over by the Government, the formulation of a structured teacher cadre system for Catholic religious education, the need to recruit Catholic nuns and priests into the teaching profession and the establishment of a mechanism to obtain the support of the Ministry of Education for the administration of Government-acquired Catholic schools.
It was also decided that discussions with the Catholic Council would be held three times annually, while Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage would serve as Secretary to the forum.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the Catholic Council, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith thanked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Government for facilitating the discussion.
His Eminence further stated that the expectation was to ensure every student, without discrimination, is given the opportunity to learn his or her own religion and stressed the importance of resolving the prevailing issues within the education sector.
Also present at the occasion were Most Rev. Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Most Rev. Bishop Christy Noel Emmanuel, Most Rev. Bishop Anton Ranjith, Most Rev. Bishop Wimal Siri Jayasuriya, other clergy representing the Catholic Council, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa and senior officials of the Ministry of Education.
(PMD)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to broaden the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, which was launched last year. Unlike the inaugural edition held in November 2025 that featured eight Associate teams, the second edition will comprise 10 teams, including five Test-playing nations. The tournament is scheduled to be held in November this year.
Italian Navy’s ITS GIOVANNI DELLE BANDE NERE, which arrived in Colombo (21 May 2026) on a replenishment visit, departed the island today (22 May).
The Sri Lanka Navy bade a customary farewell to the departing ship in compliance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.
During her brief stay in Colombo, the Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander Antonio BUFIS called on the Commander Western Naval Area at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.
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