News
CID informs PCoI its inability to recover deleted data from the phone of ex-SIS Director
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Digital Forensic Laboratory of the CID had been unable to recover deleted data from the mobile phone used by former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena during the Easter Sunday attacks, the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks was told on Wednesday night.
OIC of the Digital Forensic Laboratory, Sampath Kumara Senaratne told the PCoI that Jayawardena’s wife was using the phone now and that Jayawardena told him that he conducted a factory reset before giving it to his wife. A factory reset restores an electronic device to its original system state by erasing all information stored on the device.
The PCoI in September ordered a mobile phone and a laptop used by former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director to be sent to the CID for extraction of data relevant to their investigation. SDIG Mahesh Welikanna, attached to PCoI Police unit, was asked to take into custody a mobile phone used by SDIG Jayawardena, which he used to record some of his conversations with senior security officials after Easter Sunday attacks and his laptop that he had been using to give evidence.
Chairman of PCoI also gave specific instructions to the SDIG of the CID about handling the devices. He said: “These devices must be opened before a representative of Jayawardena, two officers of PCoI police unit, a CERT official appointed to assist the PCoI and a representative of the current SIS Director. Any relevant data, in conversations recorded or in messaging applications, between January 01 and December 31, 2019, must be extracted in front of these individuals.”
The Chairman also ordered the SDIG of the CID to ‘hard delete’ (erase in a way that is impossible to recover data) personal data or information pertaining to national security. However, that did not apply to data pertaining to early warnings on Easter Sunday attacks, any information on National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) or its leader Zahran Hashim, suicide bombers and those who were killed in Sainthamaruthu on April 26, 2019.
The Chairman said: “The CID must also see if there has been any deletion of data and see if they can be recovered. All the reports should be sent to PCoI secretary. After the investigations are over the phone and laptop should be returned to the PCoI secretary too.”
This task was entrusted to the OIC of the Digital Forensic Unit, who presented a report to the PCoI on Wednesday night. OIC Sampath Kumara Senaratne informed the Commission that since Jayawardena had done a factory reset there was no way of reproducing deleted content.
Chairman of the PCoI: “Did you ask SDIG Jayawardena why he had done a factory reset ?”
OIC Senaratne: “He told me that he had given the mobile phone to his wife and that he had wanted to remove everything that could compromise national security from the phone.”
Chairman of the PCoI: “But you couldn’t verify when the data was deleted?”
OIC Senaratne: “No. Verifying the data would have required me to connect the phone to the Internet. However, I was working within certain limitations set by the PCoI. Moreover, in a digital forensic investigation, we usually don’t connect the phone to the Internet. So, I couldn’t verify when a factory reset was done.”
However, the CID had been able to recover some data that had been deleted from SDIG Jayawardena’s laptop, the PCoI was informed.
The OIC said that about 2.6 million deleted files had been recovered and about 210 of them, relevant to the probe handed over to the Presidential Commission Police Unit.
The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.
Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.
The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses
will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”
In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125
News
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.
The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.
A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.
Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.
The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.
The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m
Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
Sri Lankan troops in joint anti-terrorist exercise in Russia
Nine Indian poachers brought to KKS with their boat
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