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Easter attacks and Bond scams: Prez tells AG, take action fast

05 Feb 2021

  • ‘Will bring all culprits, accomplices to justice’ 

  • Make Easter report public: SJB and Archbishop 

  President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he has advised the Attorney General’s Department to be swift in taking actions with regard to the Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April, 2019, and the Central Bank Treasury Bond scams.    Addressing the nation during the 73rd Independence Day celebrations held yesterday (4), he made further reference to the Easter Sunday bombings, emphasizing that action will be taken against all parties involved in and responsible for the tragedy, including those who masterminded it and aided and abetted towards such, and that they would ensure that all such persons would not evade justice.    He further added that he has given instructions to implement the recommendations in the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks. “I have advised the Attorney General’s Department to swiftly act upon matters that have caused great concern to the public, such as the Easter Sunday attacks and the Central Bank Treasury Bond scams. I have now received the final report of the PCoI appointed to inquire into the Easter Sunday attacks. I have already given instructions to implement its recommendations. Simultaneously, taking into account the recommendations of the previous Parliament’s Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security, action will be taken against all parties involved in this tragedy. We will not allow those responsible for designing and enabling this tragedy to escape justice. We will never allow extremism to raise its head again, in this country”.    Speaking to The Morning, Opposition Parliamentarian and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Member, Harin Fernando said that while they welcome the actions that would be taken to bring justice to these incidents, they also believe that the said PCoI report must be made available in the public domain. “Expose whatever is needed to be exposed, but ensure that we also are able to see the PCoI report,” added Fernando.    Meanwhile, when contacted regarding the matter, the Archdiocese of Colombo Secretary Denington Subasinghe said that the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith too, whilst delivering an Independence Day related sermon yesterday, had expressed the need to publicize the PCoI report’s recommendations. “Firstly, I hope that the Government lets the country know about the PCoI report’s recommendations. Secondly, I hope that the Government implements those recommendations to courageously bring to justice all of the actors behind the Easter Sunday attacks. I hope that it will not be swept under the carpet as usual,” he said.  After recording evidence from the over 400 people during a 214-day period, the PCoI into the Easter Sunday attacks handed over their report to the President on 1 February. The attacks, involving terrorists including eight suicide bombers, targeted three churches and three hotels on 21 April, 2019, taking around 270 lives and injuring approximately 500 others.


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