Hemasiri: If SIS chief had revealed source of warning, Easter Sunday could have been prevented

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Easter Sunday Attacks could perhaps have been averted if former Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS), Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena had informed him of the intelligence agency that was the source of the warning of a possible terrorist attack, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, on Saturday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Fernando said that during the weekly intelligence review meeting on 9 April, 2019, SDIG Jayawardena had not mentioned the warning.

The witness said that at the end of the meeting, he had asked Jayawardena about the report he had sent on April 07. Jayawardena had said that he would prepare a report and send it to Fernando within two days. Jayawardena said the report would also be sent to then IGP Pujith Jayasundara.

A Commissioner asked the witness whether former Army Commander General Mahesh Senanayake, who was present at the meeting, had inquired about the report. Fernando said that SDIG Jayawardena had told Senanayake about the warning in a way that others could not hear.

“However, things could have turned out different if the Jayawardena had informed all the officers present that day of the warning,” Fernando said.

Answering by the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) whether Fernando had received intelligence reports by the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the witness said that he had not received such reports during his tenure as the Defence Secretary. Asked whether former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis had informed him of intelligence information received from the DMI, Fernando said Mendis had not done so.

Fernando said that most intelligence reports by the SIS had no analysis and had many shortcomings.

When asked by the ASG whether Fernando, as Defence Secretary had pointed out shortcomings to SDIG Jayawardena, the witness said that he could not do all the work and added that he believed the officers would perform their duties properly and that it was not his practice to follow up their work.