Petition hearing on Easter attack

Former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Director of the State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardena, former Secretary of Defense, former Inspector General of Police and many others have lost their lives in suicide bombings on Easter Sunday due to negligence on the part of Mr. stated in the, 

The President's Counsel was hearing 12 petitions seeking a declaration that his fundamental rights had been violated due to the failure of the authorities, including former IGP, former Defense Secretary, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena, to prevent the Easter attack despite intelligence. Did.

Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Buwaneka Aluvihare, L. T. B. Dehideniya, Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairajah, Shiran Gunaratne, A. H. M. D. The hearing of the petition commenced before a seven-judge bench comprising Hon.

Former Chief of State Intelligence Nilantha Jayawardena has admitted that he received information from a foreign intelligence service that there were plans to carry out terrorist attacks on the Indian High Commission and important Catholic churches, but did not take any action to prevent such attacks, the President's Counsel alleged.

The president's attorney argued that the former head of state intelligence had failed to prevent or take the necessary action despite receiving strong information on April 4 that the attack was imminent.

Mr. Nilantha Jayawardena has admitted that he had received important diplomatic information through a WhatsApp message that there were plans to carry out terrorist attacks on the Indian High Commission and important Catholic churches and that he could not remain unaware of the location of those important churches as a state intelligence chief. .

He said that if the church or the cardinal had been informed about the attack, the devastation could have been averted by canceling the Eucharist.

However, he accused the former head of the State Intelligence Service of not acting as a responsible official and of neglecting his responsibilities.

The President's Counsel pointed out that innocent people had lost their lives due to the negligent actions of the former Chief of State Intelligence and other authorities.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has stated in his affidavit that although he was the Minister of Defense, the Director of the State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardena had not informed him about the intelligence received regarding this terrorist attack.

The National Security Council has not been held since February 2019 and the absence of meetings of the National Security Council shows that then President Sirisena did not seem to have fulfilled his responsibility as Minister of Defense, the President's Counsel said.

He also pointed out that the Prime Minister had made a mistake by not summoning the Prime Minister to the National Security Council.

The President's Counsel also blamed the former President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet for the failure to prevent the attack.

The President's Counsel concluded his proceedings by requesting the court to pay a fair compensation as the compensation paid to the victims of the bombing was not sufficient.