Easter Sunday carnage: Alles admits PCoI named SDIG

By Saman Indrajith

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles admitted in Parliament yesterday (21) that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on 2019 Easter Sunday carnage had referred to Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, the then head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) as one those against whom the PCoI recomemnded the Attorney General to inquire into.

Making a special statement, Minister Alles said that he had errored in Parliament the previous day when he declared PCoI didn’t mention the SDIG’s name. The Minister said:”In response to MP Hector Appuhamy, I said SDIG’s Nilantha Jayawardena’s name was not there in the Presidential Commission report. That was a mistake. Jayawardena’s name isthere in the report, but that reference was not a charge. The commission recommended to the AGl to consider whether action should be taken against him.”

MP Appuhamy raised a point of order, but the Speaker said that there was no need of further debating the matter which had been put to rest by the minister with his apology.

However, MP Appuhamy shouted that the Speaker wanted to hide facts by not giving time for opposition MPs. “The Minister is better than the Speaker and admitted that he made a mistake. The Speaker does not allow us to speak the truth. This sends wrong messages to society and that is why people attack us on the roads. I need to rectify the statement of the minister. The report does not tell the Attorney General to consider action. It recommends court proceedings against Jayawardena under a suitable provision of the Penal Code. That is the truth. How long are you going to keep hiding the truth,” the MP queried.