Church raises whereabouts of suicide bomber’s wife Sarah, DMI links

Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith stressing a point at yesterday’s media briefing

Status of two AG Dept officials queried

The National Catholic Committee for Justice has, in a report sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, expressing concern a bout the extremely slow progress in investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, raised questions about State Counsel Malik Azeez and Deputy Solicitor General Azad Navavi.

Referring to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Final Report Vol.1, p 329, the committee has pointed out that the five- member PCoI recommended that the Public Service Commission (PSC) consider taking disciplinary action against Azeez and Navavi.

The Church has said that the PCoI recommended that the Attorney General consider criminal proceedings against All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Rishad Bathiudeen. The Church also alleged the culpability of former lawmaker and Eastern Province Governor M. L. A. M. Hisbullah in spreading extremism in the Kattankudy area.

The Church has said that although the PCoI received evidence that Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah, wife of Katuwapitiya suicide bomber was alive and taken refuge in India, the government hadn’t really inquired into the mysterious affair.

 The Church has emphasised that all recommendations in the PCoI should be implemented.

On the basis of the PCoI report and statements made by SJB members, Manusha Nanayakkara, Harin Fernando and S.M. Marikkar and JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake the Church have raised several questions about the alleged involvement of some members of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) with Easter Sunday attackers, particularly Jameel assigned to carry out suicide blasts at Colombo Taj. (SF)