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STF kept in the dark about foreign intelligence warning, threat posed by Zahran, NTJ, etc., – Ex-SDIG Latheef
Easter Sunday carnage probe:
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara or former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena had not properly conveyed the reliable intelligence information about the possible terrorist attacks to the Special Task Force (STF), retired Commandant of the STF, Senior DIG M.R. Latheef, on Saturday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Latheef said the STF had the experience and the capability of neutralizing threats posed by terrorists. If he had been informed of the reliable intelligence information that the SIS had received on April 20, 2019,. the STF would have been able to lock down the Colombo City, arrest the terrorists and neutralise the threat.
Latheef said that on April 09, 2019, the former IGP had sent a letter informing the STF Headquarter of the foreign information of a possible terror attack and it had been received at 6.45 pm, Latheef said, adding that he had returned to the country, following a training programme in France on April 10. After his return, he had called the IGP before going to office and asked if there were any important developments, SDIG Latheef said. However, Jayasundara had told him that there wasn’t anything special.
However, when he arrived at the office, he had seen the letter sent by the IGP and informed STF officers deployed with VIP security squads including those of the President and the Prime Minister and STF officers in charge of various divisions of the letter.
The Attorney General’s representative leading the evidence asked the witness whether the foreign warning of the possible terror attack, received on April 04, 2019 by the SIS, had been discussed or mentioned when Latheef met the Defence Secretary or the IGP, between April 10 and 20.
Latheef checked his service record book and said that he had met Fernando and Jayasundara on April 11. However, neither of them had spoken to him about the information of the possible terrorist attacks. He also said that certain individuals had told the Parliament Select Committee on the Easter Attacks that they had discussed the developments at issue on April 18, 2019. However, since he was out of the country between April 15 and 18, for a conference on drug eradication, such a meeting could not have happened, the witness said.
SDIG Latheef said that on April 19, SDIG Jayawardena had spoken to him about an incident in Kattankudy, on April 16, where a motorcycle bomb had detonated. “I told him that I had just got back and that I would deploy officers and file a report on this. On April 20, I called Nilantha. I told him that it was a test run and that such an explosion could lead to the loss of many lives. I said an explosives laden bike could be brought to populous areas.”
However, it was only after the April 21 attacks that information on Islamic extremists had been shared with the STF in a systematic and meaningful way, the witness said. If the IGP had reposed any trust in him and the STF, this information could have been shared earlier.
“Others had been told of Zahran Hashim. I only got to know about Zahran and the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) only after we were summoned to the National Security Council (NSC) after the attack. I was only given the first report by a foreign intelligence source and it contained limited information. But much more in-depth information was shared between SIS Director and the IGP. Apparently, the names, their connections and their whereabouts had all been shared between senior officers.”
Latheef said that he had asked former ministers Sagala Ratnayake and Ranjith Maddumabandara to invite them to the NSC meetings. At that time, the STF was at the forefront of drug eradication, but it had not been even invited to the Intelligence Coordination Meeting. “If the STF had been properly briefed on April 09, 2019, we would have had almost two weeks to neutralise the threat,” the witness said.
“I called the SIS Director on April 20 to inform him of the bicycle bomb. He didn’t tell me that he had reliable information that a terrorist attack was expected to take place on April 21. If I had been informed of the imminent attack, I would have sealed off Colombo and the Western Province. We could have placed road blocks and implemented contingency plans; we would have been able to arrest one or two and neutralise the threat. I am still perplexed why I wasn’t informed of the warning at least on April 20.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
