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Archbishop writes to Public Security Minister 

21 May 2021

  • Seeks explanation on action over AG’s statement 

  • Asks AG on internal probe into Departmental lapses over Zahran 

By Buddhika Samaraweera    The Head of the Catholic Church and Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has written to the Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera requesting an explanation regarding a recent statement made by the Attorney General (AG), President’s Counsel (PC) Dappula de Livera, that there was a great conspiracy behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019.  The Spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Reverend Father Camilus Fernando, commenting on the matter, said that the Archbishop had asked Weerasekara in the letter as to how the AG’s statement would be dealt with.  The Archbishop has also inquired from the Minister regarding the ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings, he added.  However, sources in the Catholic Church informed The Sunday Morning that the Cardinal had in the letter, expressed his displeasure over the ongoing investigations.  Parish Priest of the St. Anne’s Church, Kurana, Negombo, Reverend Cyril Gamini Fernando, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that following the AG’s statement, the Catholic Church entertained grave doubts concerning the investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings and was therefore extremely worried about the status of the current investigations into the bombings.  Noting that the investigations into the said bombings were since the inception guided under the instructions of AG de Livera PC, Gamini Fernando said that therefore an investigation should be carried out into the AG’s claim against the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) that the latter’s (CID) probes into certain Easter Sunday attacks suspects were incomplete (as per the findings submitted to the AG’s Department in the form of files) thus delaying the process of indictments being filed against them. Gamini Fernando also mentioned that AG de Livera PC should make an explanation regarding his statement concerning the CID, without further delay.  Meanwhile, referring to the reports of Parliamentary Select Committee and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) that investigated the bombings on Easter Sunday, Gamini Fernando said that they are also aware of the failure of the AG's Department to act on information provided by the security forces regarding the deceased National Thowheeth Jama’ath Leader Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran alias Zahran Hashim. Gamini Fernando also queried as to whether the AG's Department had conducted an inquiry into the failure on their part.  Attempts to contact the Coordinating Officer to the AG, State Counsel (SC) Nishara Jayaratne in this regard proved futile.  However, at the proceedings of the said PCoI, it was revealed that an internal Departmental disciplinary inquiry had been conducted concerning the relevant officers and that the matter had subsequently been handed over to the Public Service Commission (PSC). A three member committee appointed by AG de Livera PC had, in 2020, recommended to the PSC that disciplinary action should be taken against Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Azard Navavi and SC Malik Azeez. The recommendation had been made on the said officials failure to take necessary action on a file submitted to the AG's Department in 2017 by the Terrorism Investigations Division (TID) seeking legal advice to ban several websites run by the National Thowheeth Jama’ath.  AG de Livera PC is scheduled to retire next week. He is tipped to be succeeded by Acting Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam PC.


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