Measures being adopted to confiscate assets of banned extremist organisations

by Norman Palihawadane

Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera said yesterday that measures would be taken to confiscate the assets of banned Islamic extremist organisations.

Weerasekera told The Island that information pertaining to the leaders of those organisations and their assets was being collected.

Minister Weerasekera said that 11 extremist organisations had been banned and their members would not be able to remain active. The decision was announced two weeks ago in a gazette notice signed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the ‘Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979 regulations, cited as the Prevention of Terrorism (Proscription of Extremist Organisations) Regulations No. 2 of 2021. Anyone linked to the groups – nine of which are local religious and social organisations – faces up to 20 years in jail.

Minister Weerasekera said that investigations into the banned groups were now underway and their assets would be confiscated after the reports of the investigations into their assets and bank accounts were submitted to the Attorney General.

The 11 groups banned are: United Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (UTJ), Ceylon Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (CTJ), Sri Lanka Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (SLTJ), All Ceylon Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (ACTJ), Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JASM) alias Jamma’ath Ansaaris Sunnathil Mohomadiya Organization alias All Ceylon Jam-E- Athu Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya alias Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya Association alias Jama’ath Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya, Dharul Adhar alias Jamiul Athar Mosque alias Dharul Athar Quran Madrasa alias Dharul Aadhaar Ath’thabawiyya, Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM) alias Jamia, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) alias Al – Dawlah al – Islamiah Dawla Islamia, AL – Qaeda, Save the Pearls alias Save the Pearl Society and Super Muslim.