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AG released an Easter attack suspect, alleges Mujibur

23 Apr 2021

  • Claims suspect linked to Easter masterminds Zahran, Naufer

  • Asks what invisible hand asked AG to release

  • We need suspect’s name to comment: AG’s Dept

  Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman claimed in Parliament on 21 April, that an unnamed suspect, arrested for alleged connections to the Easter Sunday terror attack masterminds Naufer Moulavi and Zahran Hashim, had been released in 2020. He claimed that the suspect, who was arrested by the military intelligence on 26 April 2019, had been handed over to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) where it was revealed upon questioning that he had worked with Zahran and Naufer.  “A suspect who was found to have worked with Zahran and had admitted to having been an informer for the military intelligence has been released following a request sent by the Attorney General (AG) President’s Counsel Dappula De Livera on 18 September 2020 with reference to case number B-15858/819, stating that the AG has no intention to take further action against this suspect and that he can therefore be released. The AG has however requested to be informed of the Magistrate’s decision on the suspect,” Rahman said in Parliament. “What is the invisible hand that had asked the AG to release the suspect?” he queried. The MP further claimed that upon the shift of Governments in November 2019, TID officials were replaced, no reports have been filed in Court to continue investigations on said suspect, and no investigations against the suspect had been conducted between 4 December 2019 and 31 September 2020. When contacted yesterday (22), the Co-ordinating Officer to the AG State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said that she could only comment on the matter with details of the suspect and that she would have to check the details before providing a comment. However, at the time of going to print, we were unable to obtain a response from the side of the AG. Sources however said that in the case of the absence of evidence against a suspect, a case would be dropped. Attempts to contact MP Rahman to obtain the name of said suspect proved futile. Attempts to contact Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector General of Police Ajith Rohana in this regard were also not fruitful.  


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