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Church in talks with foreign governments on Easter Sunday attacks

03 Feb 2022

  • Claims truth would reveal murderous, corrupt, dishonesty of Sri Lankan politics
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming that the Catholic church is currently in discussions with foreign governments to bring justice to the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019, National Catholic Social Communication Centre Director Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando stated that the discovery of the truth behind the said terror attacks would expose the murderous and corrupt nature of Sri Lankan politics.  Speaking at a media briefing held yesterday (3), he said: “We have now begun discussions with the governments of foreign countries. In addition, the Vatican has also been informed. We will be taking more actions in the near future.”  He further added that despite all possible efforts to bring justice to the Easter Sunday terror attacks within the country itself, they were unsuccessful and that there was no other option but to go to the international community. “We are doing these things for the country, because only by discovering the truth behind these attacks can we expose the murderous and corrupt nature and dishonesty of the country’s politics, and only then will the nakedness of many politicians come out. That way, the country can be liberated from its current corrupt status,” claimed Fernando.  He further added that in view of the current situation in the country, it is doubtful as to whether justice will be served to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. He said that there was no mistrust in the Judiciary but that there were doubts about how the Police and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) would investigate and how the Attorney General (AG) would file cases. “The problem we have is not with the Judiciary, but with the Police, the CID, and the AG. For instance, it is the AG who files cases in the courts. Prior to that, the Police and the CID should carry out investigations thoroughly. Also, the reports prepared by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) that investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks are now with the AG. But we do not see the AG trying to initiate judicial action against those who have been implicated in those reports,” Fernando added. On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches (St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, and Zion Church in Batticaloa) and three luxury hotels in Colombo (Cinnamon Grand Colombo, The Kingsbury Colombo, and Shangri-La Colombo) were targeted in a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings. Later that day, another two bomb explosions took place at a house in Dematagoda and the Tropical Inn Lodge in Dehiwala. A total of 269 people excluding the bombers were killed in the bombings, including about 45 foreign nationals, while at least 500 were injured. Later, a PCoI was appointed to investigate the said terror attacks and the PCoI, in its final report, has made several recommendations including the filing of criminal charges against former President and incumbent Government Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, former State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis, and several others. However, most of the recommendations made by the said PCoI have not yet been implemented. As a result, several parties including the Catholic church have been insisting on the need to implement the PCoI’s recommendations. Meanwhile, claiming that all attempts made by the Catholic church to get justice for the Easter Sunday terror attacks within the country have failed, Colombo Archbishop His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith recently said that they are currently exploring the possibility of reaching out to the international community, including the UN, to seek justice for the said terror attacks.


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