Lapses keep surfacing in intelligence bodies

By Rathindra Kuruwita

An intelligence report warning that foreign SIM cards were being used to exchange messages by Easter Sunday attackers had been sent to the office of the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI,) prior to the attacks, but the report had not been handed over to former CNI Sisira Mendis, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks was informed yesterday. Mendis said he had later learnt that SIM cards from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal had been used to send messages by suicide bombers. “This report was not handed over to me,” he said. Commissioners asked the witness’ opinion on how to ensure a smooth relationship between security and intelligence institutions. Mendis said  there should be a mechanism at the intelligence service level to develop and share intelligence with investigation units. He said that the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena had held extensive discussions about Islamic extremism and NTJ’s practices at the intelligence review meetings. However, SIS had only limited findings, Mendis said. Commissioners also questioned Mendis whether they could use a person who had an arrest warrant on him, as an informant. Investigators had to execute the particular arrest warrant. Earlier, it was revealed that the CID had used Army Mohideen, the physical fitness instructor of the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ), who had an arrest warrant on him as an informant. Mendis also said that he had not received any document about arrest warrants obtained by the TID on Zahran Hashim and his associates.