Sajith assures justice to Easter Sunday victims

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on Thursday wrote to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith assuring him that a future SJB Government will implement the recommendations made by the PCol on Easter Sunday attacks in full.

He added that the public will have complete access to previously classified information pertaining to the attacks as well as a completely transparent investigation with public, televised hearings and testimonies in order to maintain the highest standards of investigative ethics.

Given below are excerpts of Premadasa’s letter: “Our nation is yet to recover from the devastation caused by the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks that targeted innocent civilians in churches and hotels; killing 270 and injuring over 500, damaging historic catholic churches and ruthlessly targeting devotees attending Easter Sunday prayers.

“Diverse segments of civil society have consistently urged the Government to conduct impartial, thorough and transparent investigations into the said attacks in order to seek justice on behalf of the victims and their families as well as to finally reveal the real planners and perpetrators of the Easter Sunday Attacks.

“A Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCol) was appointed to investigate all aspects of the Attacks and following a lengthy inquiry, the PCoI submitted its report with recommendations as far back as December 2019 and March 2020. The PCol report, in its entirety, was never released to the public, its un-redacted contents still undisclosed. The Government has also seemingly reneged on its own reassurance to implement the recommendations of the PCol.

“We note with great concern the ad-hoc transfer of the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), SSP Shani Abeysekara, who was also the lead investigator into the Attacks. Abeysekara’s removal from the investigation as well as being remanded and harassed by the authorities warrants further investigation and explanation.

“SSP Shani Abeysekara filed a Fundamental Rights Application in the Supreme Court. The revelations made by him in his Petition show that he was conducting a thorough investigation into the Attacks and also revealed a possible conspiracy beyond mere extremism that might have assisted in orchestrating the attacks.

“Former Attorney General Dappula De Livera is also on record referring to a “Grand Conspiracy” behind the Easter attacks. I am certain the Attorney General between February 2021 and May 2021 would have had access to the full report of the PCol and to all other related material, thus De Livera is well-placed to form such a conclusion.

“The superficial nature of the investigations in to the Attacks by the present regime is a source of immense frustration for us all.

We pledge that a future “Samagi Jana Balawegaya” Government will implement the recommendations made by the PCol in full as well as assuring the public of complete access to previously classified information pertaining to the Attacks as well as a completely transparent investigation with public, televised hearings and testimonies in order to maintain the highest standards of investigative ethics.”