… insists neither he nor his brother had links to Zahran

By Shamindra Ferdinando

All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Vanni District Samagi Jana Balavegaya lawmaker Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday (10) lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) requesting an inquiry into National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa’s claim that his brother Riyaj had been in touch with Easter Sunday bomber Zahran Hashim.

Addressing the media at the entrance to the CID headquarters, SJB lawmaker Bathiudeen alleged that Minister Weerawansa had made a deliberate bid to mislead the public when he delivered a speech at the Sri Sambuddhathva Jayanthi Mandiraya the previous day.

Bathiudeen said that neither he nor his brother had ever met Zahran Hashim or talked to him over the phone under any circumstances in the run-up to 2019 Easter Sunday carnage. The lawmaker alleged that Minister Weerawansa’s statement was meant to harm the Muslim community.

Minister Weerawansa during his Tuesday’s special lecture delivered at the Sri Sambuddhathva Jayanthi Mandiraya alleged that the police spokesman was on record as having said that Rishard Bathiudeen’s brother called Zahran and the police spokesman had been transferred immediately.

Weerawansa said that the police had explained to Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith how Rishad ‘s brother called Zahran Hashim and then got in touch with Rishad. Then again Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother called Zahran Hashim.

One-time Police Spokesman SSP and attorney-at-law Jaliya Senaratne told police headquarters briefing last year how Riyaj had been in touch with one of the suicide bombers in the run-up to the attacks. SSP Senaratne said that the investigators were in possession of incriminating evidence. However, Riyaj who had been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was subsequently released by the CID claiming there was no case against the suspect.

Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, intervened in the wake of over 100 SLPP members of parliament demanding an inquiry into Riyaj Bathiudeen’s release. The DIG CID and Director CID were replaced while police headquarters appointed two special teams to probe the matter. Police headquarters is yet to announce their findings.

At the time of the Easter Sunday attacks the ACMC had been a constituent of the UNP led administration, having contested the 2015 general election on the UNP ticket. The ACMC contested the last general election in 2020 on the SJB ticket.