People can no longer be fooled with false promise– Cardinal

Easter Sunday carnage probe:

By Norman Palihawadane

Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says the rulers can no longer fool people with false promises about the Easter Sunday investigations.

 “The rulers cannot fool us with fake claims that those responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks would be brought before justice,” the Cardinal said, commenting on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to complete the investigation, into the terror attacks, with the assistance of international investigation teams.

Addressing a ceremony for the blessing and consecration of the newly built St Francis of Assisi Church, Udugampola, of the Burulpitiya Parish, last week, the Cardinal said that the government was continuing to avoid the implementation of the recommendations made by the final report of Presidential Commission, appointed to investigate the truth about the Easter Sunday attack.

“Although requests were made to get the remaining volumes of the report that were only presented to Parliament, the authorities are acting to suppress the truth by rejecting our pleas,” the Cardinal said, adding that this country had a legal system and efficient officials capable of carrying out an impartial investigation and bring the perpetrators before the law. By politicising the law enforcement agencies and the Attorney General’s Department, and not allowing them to function independently, and thereafter seeking the assistance of international investigating bodies, was just another government truce,” Cardinal Ranjith said.

The Cardinal said that all rulers who held the executive presidency used it to ruin the country, to become rich and ensure a comfortable future for their own families and henchmen.

The construction work of the new church building commenced in 2012 under the direction of Rev Fr Subash Chaminda Fernando OFM, the then Parish Priest. The construction work continued during the tenure of Rev Fr Dudley Saparamadhu OFM and was finally completed by Rev Fr Prasad Indika, incumbent Parish Priest.