Internal Security Minister says Rishad’s brother will be arrested again if there is fresh evidence

by Saman Indrajith

The release of former minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s brother Riyaj arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday carnage did not mean that he had been cleared of all charges, Irrigation and State Minister of Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday.

The Minister said that the suspect would be taken into custody if new evidence linked to him surfaced.

Responding to a question raised by SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri, the minister said that Riyaj had been taken into custody on April 14, this year on suspicion of the latter’s connections with Insaf Ahmed, the terrorist who blew himself up at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo during the Easter Sunday terror attacks. “There were 17 calls made by the suspect to the terrorist. The suspect had been detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act for three days for questioning and thereafter obtained the permission of courts twice for three months each. The investigators have found that the suspect and the terrorists had no terror links. The calls had been made for business purposes. There is no evidence to prove that the suspect aided and abetted the terrorist to carry out the attacks, and, therefore he was released on Sept 29, 2020. The last call was three months prior to the attacks. However, if there is new evidence, he will be arrested again,” the Minister said

MP Wijesiri said that when the suspect was nabbed, the police spokesman stated that the police had evidence to prove that the suspect aided and abetted the terrorists by transporting explosives. The MP said, “Now, after a couple of months, the same police spokesman says that there is no evidence. Which statement are we to believe? Imagine the plight of the person who was under custody if he is innocent and the ordeal he had undergone. What action would the government take against the policeman whose double standard on the matter is exposed?”

Rajapaksa said that it was his opinion that the police spokesman should have waited till the investigations were over to make a statement. “The spokespersons are trying to put up media circuses so they state whatever is told to them.”

Minister Rajapaksa said that 130 employees in public institutions and statutory institutions had been interrogated as regards the Easter Sunday terror attack. After interrogations it had been found that some of them were innocent or that there was no evidence to prove those suspects had links to the terrorists. They had been released. Ten employees in public institutions and statutory institutions had been arrested on terror charges.

Minister Rajapaksa said: “Cases are pending before courts against some of them. Some have been released. With regard to some others in custody, the police have sought the Attorney General’s instructions. They will be dealt with in accordance with instructions of the Attorney General.”