Hashim had phone conversation with suicide bomber’s brother two days prior to carnage, PCoI told

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Former minister Kabir Hashim had had a telephone conversation, two days before the Easter Sunday attacks, with Abdul Latheef Hakeem Mohamed, brother of Abdul Latheef Jameel Mohamed, who blew himself up at Tropical Inn lodge, in Dehiwala, the Attorney General’s Department revealed, on Thursday, before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.  

The call had lasted for 147 seconds, the AG’s representative said.

The Senior State Counsel (SSC), who led evidence asked the witness Kabir Hashim whether he had received a call from one of the suicide bombers two days before the attack.

“I was summoned to the CID in December 2019 and I was told I had received a 147-second call from a man named Hakeem two days before the Easter attack. At that point I said I did not remember.  I was then told Hakeem was the brother of the man who blew himself up at Tropical Inn lodge in Dehiwala.”

However, Hashim said that he did not remember receiving such a phone call. The Commission also drew his attention to the vandalising of Buddha statues in Mawanella area during the period December 23 to 26, 2018 and the attempt to kill his Coordinating Secretary, Mohammad Tasleem in early 2019. Tasleem had tipped off investigating officers about extremists and it was with his information that CID discovered explosives at the Jihadist training camp in Wanathawilluwa.

Hashim said that he had got Tasleem to assist the CID in its investigations into Islamic extremism.

“Only people who knew that Tasleem was helping in the investigations were CID officers and I. However someone shot Thasleem after the Wanathawilluwa operation and I informed the Cabinet of ministers of this. I also pointed out that it was a threat to my life as well.”

Former President Maithripala Sirisena had then informed Hashim that he would be invited to the National Security Council (NSC) one day, because it was important for national security.

“However I was not invited to the NSC,” Hashim  said.