Ex-SIS chief blasts top people who feign ignorance of Easter carnage warning

by Rathindra Kuruwita

By April 11, 2019, between 10,000 and 15,000 persons were aware of the foreign intelligence that the State Intelligence Service (SIS) received on April 04, 2019 about a possible terrorist attack, former SIS Director, Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, said yesterday, before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Jayawardena said that by April 09, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara had informed the STF of it and the STF had about 5,000 personnel, Jayewardena said.

“The officers who provide security to VIPs too were informed.

There are about 800 such officers. Police personnel of the Western Province were also informed and there are about 8,000 such personnel,” he said.

Former SIS Director added that on the 20th morning, officials from various embassies had called him and asked about the intelligence report the SIS had sent the former IGP.

“So even they knew. At this rate I wouldn’t have been surprised if Zahran Hashim had also been aware of our report.

I am surprised when I hear some senior people feign ignorance,” he said.

Jayawardena also said that when a security officer of a VIP was informed of a possible threat, the VIP was usually informed.

“If my security officer is made aware of a threat, I am always informed of it. So it’s hard to believe that all the MPs didn’t know.”