By A.J.A. Abeynayake

Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday (02) ordered the acquittal of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, named a suspect in a case filed over the Easter Sunday terror attacks. He did so on the instructions of the Attorney General.

The Magistrate issued the order when the magisterial inquiry related to the case was taken up again yesterday.

Bathiudeen was arrested by the CID on 24 April 2021, and remanded under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for over six months until he was granted bail on 14 Oct., 2021 on charges of aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attackers. Investigations were conducted into the issuance of a licence to the copper factory of Inshaf Ahmed, the bomber who carried out the suicide bombing at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel on 21 April 2019, while Bathiudeen was a minister.

The CID reported to the Colombo Fort Magistrate on 10 Aug., 2021, investigations had revealed that all the expenses related to the Easter Sunday attack had been borne by a copper company called Colossus, owned by the bomber who attacked Cinnamon Grand. The CID said it had also been revealed that the dollars received from abroad to the account of Colossus Company, Pettah, had been transferred to another current account. It was found that the suicide bomber had withdrawn the money from the account by cheques and Rs. 12 million had been found in the possession of the bomber’s wife Ummu Rasina, the CID informed the Court on that day, seeking further detention of Bathiudeen. Following the CID submission, the Fort Magistrate ordered that Bathiudeen be remanded until the end of the trial, regarding the Cinnamon Grand bomber.

Soon after the acquittal, Bathiudeen tweeted: “Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power accusing me and the entire Muslim community for the Easter Sunday Attacks. They remanded me for 07 months, unjustly under the PTA, and thought that they could win the next elections as well. However, they were chased out by the people of this country, even before completion of the first term, and today with God’s grace, I have been acquitted by the Fort Magistrate Court from all charges in the PTA Case. Truth will win, not immediately but definitely.”