Kiriella: Vital evidence withheld from PCoI that probed Easter carnage

By Saman Indrajith

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday carnage had not been able to make satisfactory conclusions as intelligence agencies, the CID, etc., concealed evidence, Chief Opposition Whip, Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo, Kiriella said that vital evidence had been withheld from the PCoI to prevent it from unearthing the network of terror responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings.

“First, it is public knowledge that Zahran Hashim and some of his colleagues had been paid salaries before 2015 by intelligence agencies. Secondly, everybody knows that Pulastini Mahendran alias Sarah Jasmine, who was the wife of Atchchi Muhammadu Muhammadu Hastun, who carried out the suicide bombing at the St. Sebastian’s Church at Katuwapitiya, was taken to India. There was a network that facilitated her escape.”

Kiriella said that Pulastini was privy to vital information and that former Terrorist Investigation Division head DIG Nalaka Silva, was taking steps to arrest Zahran, but Silva was arrested following a complaint by Namal Kumara, who stated that Silva was conspiring to assassinate the then President Mathripala Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Evidence on these three issues, i.e. payment of salaries to terrorists, escape of Sarah to India and not asking for her extradition and suspension of TID’s investigations into Zahran’s group were not furnished to the CoI, which could not conduct a complete inquiry as a result.”

“We think that some information was suppressed as it would have implicated some top people of this government in the terror attacks on Easter Sunday,” MP Kiriella said.

He said that the commissioners had no mandate to go beyond the evidence given before them.

“The Commissioners have done their job with available evidence” MP Kiriella said.

SJB Colombo District MP Dr Harsha de Silva also addressed the press.