- AG’s instructions to be sought
The investigation into the statement recorded by the former President and incumbent Opposition Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Monday (25) regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019 has already started, according to the Police.
Sirisena, who recently claimed that he was aware of the 'real perpetrators' behind the said terror attacks, made an approximately five-hour-long statement when he was summoned by the CID on Monday.
When queried by the media regarding his statement, Police Spokesman and Deputy Inspector General of Police, attorney Nihal Thalduwa said that investigations have already commenced regarding his (Sirisena) statement. “The CID will seek the Attorney General's (AG) instructions in line with the progress of the related investigations, and do the rest of the work,” he said.
In response to a query regarding the content of the statement made by Sirisena, DIG Thalduwa said: “The content of such a statement is not usually issued to the media. The necessary submissions will instead be made to the court as necessary.”
Thalduwa was not available for further comment.
On 22 March, Sirisena stirred controversy when he claimed that he was aware of the true masterminds of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and that he was prepared to disclose the information to the Judiciary if inquired from him, or if an order is issued regarding the matter. Speaking to the media in Kandy, Sirisena had claimed that he is ready to disclose the relevant information and that at the same time, it is the responsibility of the Judges to keep the information strictly confidential.
The comments sparked controversy in the political arena with some accusing Sirisena of allegedly willfully concealing crucial information about the bombings that claimed the lives of nearly 270 people. Amidst the controversy however, Sirisena had later claimed that his statement was based on certain information that he had received three weeks ago. The Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles had then instructed the Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon to launch an immediate investigation into Sirisena's statement. Following Tennakoon's directions, the CID summoned Sirisena and recorded a statement from him for roughly four and a half hours on Monday.