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Easter bombers’ father on JVP’s 2015 List: JVP lambasts intelligence services for negligence

19 Mar 2021

The Government should have investigated Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, the father of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers, the Ibrahim brothers, in 2015, not in 2021, said former Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Dr. Jayatissa explained that Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim was a Member of the JVP National List back in 2015. “He was in our National List in 2015. If he was involved in funding terrorism, why didn’t the Sri Lankan intelligence agencies and services investigate about him before 2015? It’s not our fault. It’s the intelligence services who are responsible for this matter and not the JVP.” He made these comments in response to Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (Retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera‘s comment on the JVP fielding Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim as a National List candidate in 2015. One of the said brothers detonated his explosives at the Shangri-La Hotel on 21 April 2019 while the other sibling targeted a restaurant at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. “All three of the Ibrahims, the father and the two sons, provided funds of Rs. 30,000,000 to Easter Sunday mastermind Zahran Hashim,” said Minister Weerasekera. In Weerasekera’s comment, he also said that JVP Leader and Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake would have to explain about Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim’s National List candidature in the near future. “Weerasekera is a person who talks pointless and meaningless things. He doesn’t know how to behave like a Cabinet Minister with unity so how could he talk about matters in the country?” Jayatissa questioned in response. Former Western Province Governor Azath Salley also has been taken into police custody due to his alleged direct or indirect involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks and Weerasekera stated that Salley’s recent statements about the Sharia law and the State’s law could ignite extremism and would lead to terrorism. “We are currently conducting investigations and Salley is being questioned. We will be able to see if he is involved in these extremist acts once the investigation is complete. He has presently been arrested because he was suspected of having a hand in these crimes,” he said.


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