Wijeyadasa says legal process beyond scope of his Ministry

Easter Sunday carnage:

By Saman Indrajith

Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday (14) told Parliament that it was beyond the scope of the Justice Ministry to remove the officers found guilty of failing to thwart the Easter Sunday terror attacks to ensure justice and non-interference in ongoing investigations

Dr. Rajapakshe said that the court had delivered its ruling, and now it was up to the relevant departments to take further action regarding these officers. “This matter is beyond the scope of the Justice Ministry,” the Minister said, responding to a query raised by SJB Gampaha District MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardana.

Minister Dr. Rajapakshe said that on January 12, 2023, the Supreme Court had ruled that former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former SIS head Snr DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando, former Chief of National Intelligence Sisira Mendis, and the government had failed to prevent the Easter Sunday terror attacks. “The court considered findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, which probed the Easter Sunday carnage, along with police investigations submitted to the Department of the Attorney General. As a result, 42 indictments had been served at Colombo and other High Courts against 79 accused persons. Some of the accused had been granted bail,” the Minister said.

When he was asked to reveal the actions taken by the government to prevent interference in investigations by those officers, including Snr DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who are still in service, the Minister said it was beyond the scope of his ministry to do so.

The Supreme Court had ordered that compensation be paid to the victims and their families through the Office for Reparation.

The Minister said his ministry had requested the Judicial Service Commission and the Department of the Attorney General to take necessary actions to expedite hearings of the cases related to the Easter Sunday terror attacks.