Zahran’s wife said intelligence officers met him: SJB

• Harin and Manusha make explosive Easter attacks claims
• Ask why wife’s testimony not made public
• Claim a senior police officer stayed at ‘Maalu Maalu’

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarians Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara made several startling revelations in Parliament yesterday (9) concerning the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, including that Abdul Cader Fathima Hadiya, the wife of National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ) terror group Leader Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran alias Zahran Hashim, had said that an intelligence officer had met him several times at their residence.

“We don’t know if Zahran’s wife Abdul Cader Fathima Hadiya is still alive or not, but she has said that there were days when Sri Lankan intelligence officers met Zahran at his residence. Zahran’s wife had confirmed this in her statement,” Fernando said.

Zahran was one of the suicide bombers at Shangri-La, Colombo on 21 April 2019.

“The testimony of Zahran’s wife was captured on video. In that she says an intelligence officer came to their house. Who was the officer? Why won’t you reveal that? And why do you get flustered when we talk about these things?” Nanayakkara added during his speech.

Fernando also made a reference to the capture of two lorries, which were later released, and a senior police officer.

“On 4 April 2019, two lorries were caught. These lorries were caught on the Gelanigama exit point at the Southern Expressway. What was being transported in these lorries? Who was the police chief who called and instructed that the lorries be released? Who was the owner of these lorries? We ask Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera to at least reveal these things. What’s more, on the day of the Easter attacks, the police chief I referred to was at hotel Maalu Maalu in Pasikuda. We ask the Minister to find out and reveal who paid the police chief’s bill and whose voucher he used to stay at the hotel,” he said.

Nanayakkara claimed that explosives were found inside these lorries and that a bribe had been accepted in Rs. 5,000 notes.

“Weapons and explosives were found in the lorries that were taken into custody that day. When they were released on the orders of a senior police officer, who accepted a bribe in Rs. 5,000 notes? When that senior police officer was staying at Maalu Maalu, who paid his bill? Which position does he occupy in this Government at present? What are his dealings with the Government? What happened to the court cases against him? The security responsibilities of Sri Lanka Cricket have been handed over to a police officer who is still in the police force. It has been entrusted to a private security firm. That belongs to a certain individual. Is this person the same as that person? Is he the same person who went to the Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth Relic and went to visit the Mahanayakas and requested that police officers not be harassed according to the PCOI (Presidential Commission of Inquiry) report. We ask these questions knowing the answers so the Government can provide answers.”

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. All eight of the suicide bombers in the attacks were Sri Lankan citizens associated with the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ) organisation founded by the suicide bomber at Shangri-La Colombo, Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran alias Zahran Hashim. 

The Public Security Minister told the media on 27 October that all investigations carried out by the Police regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019 have now been completed.

He said that all the duties of the Police regarding the said investigation have been fulfilled. “The Police have completed all investigations with regard to the terror attacks and have handed over the findings to the Attorney General (AG). Accordingly, nine lawsuits are currently being heard in five High Courts (HCs) pertaining to the attacks,” he added.