Sirisena, Ranil before PCoI today, tomorrow respectively

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has been summoned to testify today (05) before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

Notice was issued on 22 September to the former President to appear before the Commission at 10 a.m. today.

Earlier, investigating officers visited the former President’s official residence at Malalasekera Mawatha, Colombo 7 on 26 August to record a statement from him for nearly ten hours.

Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also been summoned to testify before the Commission tomorrow (6).

During the past few weeks former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasindara have been levelling a series of allegations against Sirisena. The two men accused Sirisena of downplaying the threat posed by Islamic extremism, ordering them not to conduct open inquiries against extremist fearing that it would cause a backlash from Muslim MPs and countries and exerted pressure on Jayasundara to take the responsibility for the lapses that led to the terror attacks.