Sirisena made NSC appointments on the basis of political, personal connections, SDIG tells PCoI

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Having appointed senior officials to the National Security Council (NSC), former President  Maithripala Sirisena was unable to question them on the actions taken against NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, and his associates, based on information provided by State Intelligence Service (SIS,) former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena, on Tuesday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Jayawardena told the PCoI that he had informed the NCSC of Zahran and his followers on numerous occasions. It was regrettable that many of those who attended the NSC now claimed that they had not been aware of Islamic extremism, he added.

Jayawardena said he had sent 347 reports on Zahran to various officials periodically. On two or three occasions the former IGP Pujith Jayasundara had requested further reports, the witness said.  No other officer had paid any attention to SIS reports according to his knowledge, he said.