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Cardinal asks Prez for Easter attacks action

14 Jul 2021

  • Urges independent committee to probe ‘political conspiracy’
  • Investigations sought on Sarah Jasmine, Jameel, Sonic
BY Pamodi Waravita Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, along with the National Catholic Publishers’ Committee, has urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing the Easter Sunday attacks and to appoint an independent committee to actively investigate into any political conspiracy behind the bombings. This request is contained in a public letter addressed to the President, dated 13 July (yesterday), and co-signed by the Archbishop and 33 other bishops and priests. The letter has also requested the President to respond to their concerns in a satisfactory manner within a month. At a press conference held yesterday at the Archbishop’s House, the Archbishop specifically requested an investigation on former Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera’s parting remarks. “If the Government thinks that just because a few arrests are made the public would be happy about the progress of the investigation, then it is sadly mistaken. Just before the former AG, President’s Counsel Dappula de Livera, left office, he claimed that the Easter Sunday attacks were a grand conspiracy. Why did he state that? We urge that a completely independent committee be appointed to further look into the matter,” Cardinal Ranjith said. The Archbishop further questioned whether the political leader who had, according to the PCoI report, stated “we don’t need to put snakes inside our clothes” when warned about the attacks beforehand has a conscience. “Governments come and go. But one day, the truth will come out. On that day, there will be a judgement on all the people who were involved in the attacks and who neglected their duties to prevent the attacks from occurring,” he added. National Catholic Centre for Social Communications Director Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando questioned whether the range of government officials and politicians who had been named in the PCoI report as having known about the attacks beforehand and intentionally neglected their responsibilities, including former President Maithripala Sirisena, had also been involved in the attacks. “Why is the Government not bringing these named individuals before the law? Is there an attempt to find out as to what has happened to Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah Jasmine, the wife of one of the suicide bombers? An individual named Jameel has allegedly met an intelligence officer before the attacks. Who is this person? Why is there no investigation on that? Jameel has also allegedly received a phone call before the attacks. Who called him? Is it difficult to find details about a phone call? Former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shani Abeysekara had reportedly arrested an individual whom the Army Intelligence had then taken away? What happened to him? Who is the individual named Sonic? These are the questions we have. They were raised on multiple occasions in Parliament as well by different parliamentarians,” added Fr. Fernando. Over two years have passed since the deadly Easter Sunday terror attacks that happened on 21 April 2019, which targeted several churches and hotels in the island. Since then, the PCoI report into the attacks has recommended criminal action to be initiated against a number of state officials, including former President Sirisena, for negligence and dereliction of duty.


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