Hakeem tells PCoI probing Easter carnage ‘another force’ masterminded attacks

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) or its leader Zahran Hashim had no link to ISIS and the Easter Sunday attacks had been masterminded by another force that wanted to destabilise the country, SLMC Leader MP Rauff Hakeem, on Monday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Testifying before the Commission the witness said that those behind the attack had achieved their final objective of destabilising the country.

“The NTJ used the ISIS banner just for namesake and the group was used as pawns. The Easter Sunday attacks were a one-off incident. Such an attack will not happen again.”

The commissioners then asked Hakeem to reveal who is thought was behind the attack. Hakeem said that he would reveal that information in camera.

Hakeem also said that the SLMC had no political agreements with NTJ leader Zahran Hashim during the 2015 general election.

“People want to link SLMC with Zahran but we never had such an association with him,” he said. 

The Commissioners also questioned Hakeem on visiting the NTJ mosque and Zahran’s brother Rilwan Hashim in hospital following a clash on August 21, 2015.

Hakeem said that as a political leader he met many people every day and not everyone was known to him. He had visited several persons who were injured during a clash in Kattankudy, he added.

Hakeem said he had visited the NTJ mosque, after going to hospital, to inspect the damages, and Zahran had been present there. “At that time, Zahran had not even established a group named NTJ and that mosque was in a small hut,” he said.