- Public Security Ministry assures Police continuing investigations
The Ministry of Public Security stated that although they are not yet aware of what evidence linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks was destroyed, the relevant institutions would continue their investigations.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently told Parliament that pages from key reports pertaining to the terror attacks had been torn out, but the Government had already begun gathering new evidence.
When contacted by The Daily Morning, the Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala said that reports with more than 50,000 pages are now under review by officials: “We cannot specify what material was destroyed. However, the Police and Criminal Investigation Department teams will continue to carry out investigations and bring the culprits before the law.”
Following the President’s statement, the Police stated that they have not yet received any information about the alleged destruction of evidence or who may have been responsible. Speaking to The Daily Morning, Police Spokesperson and Assistant Superintendent of Police F.U. Wootler said earlier the matter was currently with the CID.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL) also stated last week that it would take up the matter when it meets this week. CBCSL President Rev. Fr. Harold Anthony Perera told The Daily Morning that bishops had raised questions about the progress of the investigation during earlier meetings with the President, who had assured them inquiries were continuing.
Accusing the previous Governments led by former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe of having failed to serve justice to the victims of the attacks and their families, the National People’s Power, before, during and after their election campaigns, pledged to carry out the necessary investigations and serve justice to those affected.
On 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday, three churches (St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade and the 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. More than 270 people excluding the bombers were killed in the bombings, including about 45 foreign nationals, while at least 500 were injured.