News
Shani sees no solid evidence about foreign hand in Easter carnage
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The CID had not received concrete evidence of a foreign hand behind the Easter Sunday bombings until he was removed from the CID in November 2019, former CID Director Shani Abeysekera on Monday night told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Abeysekera, who is under remand custody, and is currently receiving treatment at Ward 42 of the National Hospital, following a heart attack, testified via Skype. He had earlier contracted COVID-19.
Abeysekera is in remand custody for allegedly fabricating evidence against former DIG Vass Gunawardena.
The Attorney General’s Department officials questioned him first on the killing of two policemen at a road block in Vavunativu and then asked him about the attacks on Mawanella Buddha statues. Abeysekera said that the police had realized the killing of two policemen in Vavunativu had been carried out by the Islamists only after the Easter Sunday attacks.
Abeysekera: “The act of vandalising the Buddha statues took place on 23 December 2018. The investigation was handed over to CID CI Janaka Marasinghe and others. I also went to Mawanella on 26 December.
The Kegalle police had arrested three suspects but failed to hab two brothers, Sadiq and Shaheed Abdul-Haq, who were the main suspects.”
Senior State Counsel: “Did you go to Mannar on 15 January 2019 for an official purpose?
Abeysekera: “A reliable informant told us that Sadiq and Shaheed were about to leave the country by boat from Mannar. So, I went there on 15 January but information was false. But I asked the informant to be vigilant.”
Senior State Counsel: “The following day, i.e. 16 January, there was a detection of explosives in a Jihadist training camp at Wanathawilluwa?”
Abeysekara: “Yes, Marasinghe and his team had made that detection. After I was told that there were explosives, I told them not to search after dark. Former SDIG of CID was then informed and through him STF was deployed there.”
The AG’s Department representative then told Abeysekara that the CID had informed the court of the detection of explosives and the arrest of four suspects only on 31 January 2019, two weeks after the detection.
Abeysekara told the PCoI that there had been a delay but he had no idea why Marasinghe had taken two weeks to inform the court. Around 8,000 investigations were being carried out by the CID at the time and he was not able to oversee all of them.
A Commissioner: “Then who is responsible?
Abeysekara: “CI Marasinghe was in charge of the investigation. So, he is responsible.”
A Commissioner: “There are senior officers above Marasinghe. Don’t they also have a responsibility?”
Abeysekara: “They do have.”
Senior State Counsel: “Did you ever tell Marasinghe not to take notes of the Mawanella investigation?”
Abeysekara: “No, but even if I had done so, he should not have don so. Without notes, how can he prove that he did an investigation? “
A commissioner then asked Abeysekara whether he had received information about a foreign involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks while he was serving in the CID.
Abeysekara said that on certain occasions there had been some information hinting at a foreign involvement. However nothing concrete came up while he was heading the CID, the witness said.
Abeysekara: “Even foreign investigators were here. They couldn’t uncover anything either. Nothing concrete emerged. I don’t know if new evidence has surfaced now.”
Executive Director of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi yesterday (28) said that there were three major concerns regarding the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2026. Acknowledging the recent Supreme Court determination, in respect of the above-mentioned Bill, that three of the provisions were not consistent with the Constitution, requiring a special majority in Parliament, with one clause requiring approval by the people at a Referendum, Hettiarachchi said nonetheless PAFFREL had decided to bring their concerns to the notice of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Responding to The Island queries, Hettiarachchci said that PAFFREL sent a letter, dated 24 Sept., to President Dissanayake, regarding the issue at hand.
Petitions against the Bill was heard before a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices Shiran Gooneratne, Mahinda Samayawardena and Sampath Wijeratne.
PAFFREL and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) were among the petitioners who challenged the proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023. “We did so in public interest,” Hettiarachchchi said, adding that three major concerns were (i) the breadth of the proposed redaction power and the proposed criminalisation of certain uses of publicly accessible redacted asset declarations, particularly in relation to freedom of expression, and the public’s right to meaningfully receive and impart information (ii) raising of the State or public-corporation shareholding threshold for certain asset declaration obligations from 25% to 50%, as this could exclude officers of State-linked entities in which the State holds less than 50%, in spite of such entities exercising public functions and managing public resources and (iii)role of the Director General Ranga Dissanayake.
Hettiarachchchi emphasised that though the PARREL appreciated the way CIABOC DG handled his responsibilities, centreing of power on one person was not acceptable.
Hettiarachchi urged President Dissanayake and the 159-member government parliamentary group to pay attention to concerns raised by those who moved court against the controversial Bill and address their concerns though the Parliament received the SC determination.
An International Monetary Fund mission that visited Colombo recently warned that the proposed amendments could weaken the country’s anti-corruption framework.
The mission, led by Evan Papageorgiou, was in the country from 10 to 23 September for discussions on the seventh review of the Extended Fund Facility and the 2026 Article IV consultation. (SF)
The Supreme Court yesterday (28) dismissed two petitions filed by retired Flight Lieutenant Shantha Jayathilake against Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Shani Abeysekara and Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, and Rev. Father Cyril Gamini, alleging them of committing contempt of court.
They were the first cases dealt by the Supreme Court after the enactment of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
The recipient of gallantry medal alleged that contempt of court had been committed through an affidavit previously submitted to the Supreme Court by Shani Abeysekara and Ravi Seneviratne.
The other petition alleged that contempt of court had been committed through the contents of a complaint submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department by Rev. Father Cyril Gamini.
The Supreme Court ordered that both petitions be dismissed without being taken up for hearing.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (28) named former Minister and leader of the SLPP parliamentary group Namal Rajapaksa as the fourth suspect in the Krrish case before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The MP was named as the fourth suspect in the wake of the arrest and remanding of former Executive Officer and Director of the Krrish Group, Janaki Siriwardena, regarding the payment of Rs. 70 mn to Namal Rajapaksa to facilitate the land transaction. Police arrested Ms. Siriwardena on 24 September and she was remanded till 6 Oct. pending investigations.
The investigation focuses on 4.3 acre land development in the Fort area that began in the 2013-2014 period. Investigations were launched in 2016 by the Yahapalana government, following a complaint lodged by Wasantha Samarasinghe, now a Minister in the current Cabinet.
The Indian company in this controversy is Krrish Transworks Colombo (Pvt.) Ltd .
The CIABOC named Namal Rajapaksa as a suspect in the Krrish case while he was remanded over two cases in respect of Airbus bribery probe. (SF)
Showers above 50 mm expected in Uva, Eastern and Central provinces and in Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 2.00 p.m.
PAFFREL raises concerns over Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill
First cases taken up by SC after enactment of 22A dismissed
Now NR named 4th suspect in Krrish case
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society honoured with Friend of Singapore Red Cross Award
Eastern University and the making of a culture of peace
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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