AG gives undertaking to CA to find out truth behind import of 6000 swords on instructions of suicide bomber

The Attorney General’s Department yesterday informed the Court of Appeal that the AG would ask the Defence Secretary and the IGP on the investigations into the claim that 6,000 swords were imported to the country on the instructions of Easter Sunday suicide attacker Inshaf Ahamed. After inquiring from the Defence Secretary and the IGP about the status of the investigation; they would inform the court.

Senior State Counsel, Dr. Avanthi Perera made the above declaration to the court when the case filed by Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith was taken up.

The Court of Appeal bench comprised its President Justice Arjuna Obeysekera and Justice Mayadunne Corea. The case will be taken up again on 31 March.

Cardinal Ranjith alleged that 6,000 swords had been imported by a man named Mohomad Safraz on the instructions of Ahamed. The Cardinal said security forces had uncovered what had happened to 600 swords but they had no idea about the remaining 5,400.

A large number of swords were found in mosques and other places after the suicide attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019. The Cardinal said that most of the swords were currently circulating freely in the country, posing a serious threat to national and public security.

President’s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena, appearing for Cardinal Ranjith said that his client had written to the Chief of Defence to inquire into the matter and requested the court to issue an order to the Chief of Defence to conduct a formal inquiry into the matter.