News
‘Kith and kin of Easter Sunday bombers were to carry out second wave of attacks’
by Rathindra Kuruwita
State Intelligence Service (SIS) had warned the the IGP, on April 25, that family members and close relations of those who had carried out the Easter Sunday attacks would launch a second wave of attacks targeting hospitals, shopping malls, supermarkets, police stations and the Indian High Commission, former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena yesterday informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Jayawardene added that those killed during the Saindamarudu safe house explosion on April 26, 2019 were some of the terrorists tasked with carrying out the second wave of terror. Earlier it was revealed before the commission that 12 National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) members had remained in the East mount attacks in August 2019 and that they had been killed at the Saindamarudu safe house.
Jayawardena said that he had also submitted a report containing the names the remaining close associates of NTJ leader Zaharan Hashim on 24 April, 2019 to the SDIG of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He told the PCoI that they wanted to dismantle Zaharan’s network.
“There was no going back for those in the close circle. They would carry out a second wave of attacks. And I also sent a team of SIS officers from Colombo to the East to assist our designated officer there,” he said.
Among the group of remaining associates was Mohamed Zaharan Fazlur Rahman, who lived in Matale. Jayawardena said Rahman had sent the ISIS evidence to show that Zahran and others were adherents of ISIS.
it was only after receiving this that ISIS had claimed the responsibility for attacks, Jayawardena said.
Jayawardena also said that by April 24 they had identified 11 men and 6 women capable of launching a series of suicide attacks.
Jayawardena said that they had received information warning that militants dressed in army uniform were planning to launch the attack using vans. There were reports of possible attacks targeting five locations, including Batticaloa, and that another attack could be carried out targeting people arriving to see the devastation after the initial attacks.”
SIS had sent information to the relevant officials including the secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of National Intelligence, the IGP, as well as the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS).
Asked by members of the PCoI why the letter had been forwarded to the CDS, Jayawardene said that he had been instructed to forward the reports prepared by the SIS to the CDS at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting on 22 April, 2019.
Asked by the Additional Solicitor General, who led the evidence who had attended the NSC meeting on 22 April, 2019, Jayawardene said former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary and Secretary to the President had been present. The witness said that he did not remember whether former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe or State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene had been present at the meeting. He further said that the then IGP Jayasundara had also attended the NSC meeting held on that day for the first time since October 2018.
Jayawardena also submitted a letter sent by the IGP, warning senior Police officials, that they had received information that some groups could attack mosques. Through that letter, the IGP had instructed the Police officials to meet the moulavis and inform them of the dangers of such an attack, Jayawardena added.
… reminds AKD led over 560 protests during Yahapalanaya
Former Yahapalana Minister and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday (19) alleged that the JVP, which carried out over 560 protests during the 2015-2019 period, was now bent on preventing the Opposition from exercising its democratic right to protest.
Recalling the declaration made by the JVP at the height of the violent protest campaign in July 2022 that it would set the Parliament ablaze, the former parliamentarian lashed out at the JVP-led administration for using the police excessively to curb political opposition. Ranawaka said this while addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office .
Commenting on the protest campaign launched by the Maha Sangha, demanding presidential pardon for General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagotaatte Gnanasara, the ex-Colombo District lawmaker alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used a combination of police, investigative units and JVP cadres to break up the monks’ protest. The government went to the extent of compelling the JVP/NPP-run Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to deprive the peaceful protesters of basic toilet facilities, he alleged.
The government’s actions proved that only those with prior approval from JVP Pelawatte headquarters could launch protests in Colombo, its suburbs or in the provinces. The police have become a political tool in the hands of the JVP, the ex-Minister said. (SF)
By SK Samaranayake
Six people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding bulker lorry carrying cement and concrete ploughed into several vehicles and a shop on the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road at Kurugoda, Akurana, yesterday (19).
Four of the victims, two women and two men, died on the spot in the accident which occurred around 10.30 am, according to Alawathugoda Police.
Police said the bulker, travelling at high speed from the Matale direction, collided with three three-wheelers, two motorcycles and two lorries before veering off the road and crashing into a commercial establishment.
Five of the injured were rushed to the National Hospital of Kandy, where hospital sources said two remained in critical condition.
The bodies of the four victims were placed at the Akurana Hospital, where two others, who suffered minor injuries, were also receiving treatment.
The driver of the bulker was arrested by the Alawathugoda Police Traffic Division and is to be produced before court.
Investigations are being conducted under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
owledging that there had been an administrative lapse on the part of the President’s Office in 2019 when Maithripala Sirisena granted presidential pardon to Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Convener of Janathawadi Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday (19) urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to rectify whatever those shortcomings and release the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena.
Addressing the media at the former President Ranil Wickrekmesinghe’s Flower Road Office, Prof. Peiris emphasized that it was not fair to hold Ven. Gnanasara accountable for lapse or technical fault of others at the Presidential Secretariat during President Sirisena’s tenure.
Prof. Peiris was flanked by UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and United Republican Front (URF) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.
The fresh appeal was made on behalf of Ven. Gnanasara in the wake of President Dissanayake and JVP heavyweight Anura Kumara Dissanayake ruling out fresh presidential pardon for the monk. Minister Lal Kantha declared that the government couldn’t under any circumstances meet the continuing monks’ protest demanding Ven. Gnanasara’s release. President Dissanayake dismissed repeated appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release when he addressed the NPP really in Badulla.
Sirisena granted presidential pardon in May 2019 even before he completed a year of his six-year term of rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court during proceedings of the media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda’s 2010 January disappearance in the Homagama Magistrate’s court.
At the onset of the regular weekly briefing, Prof. Peiris said that he would report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (20) morning as requested by the commission. “The CIABOC wanted to record my statement regarding a meeting I chaired at the ministry after the conclusion of the war in 2009 pertaining to an ongoing investigation.”
Commenting further on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara, the former parliamentarian said that President Sirisena intervened following a spate of requests made on behalf of BBS General Secretary by the Mahanayakes, Anunayakes and other Maha Sangha.
The Supreme Court on 10 September, 2026 rescinded the presidential pardon granted in late May 2019.
Shafali receives demerit point for breaching Level 1 of ICC code of conduct
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Northern, North-central, Central, Eastern, North-western and Uva provinces
Molineux, Dunkley enter WPL 2027 auction with top base price of INR 50 lakh
Ranawaka accuses govt. of using JVP cadres and police to suppress political opponents
Six killed as speeding bulker crashes into vehicles, shop in Akurana
Prof. Peiris, summoned by CIABOC, appeals for Ven. Gnanasara’s release
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