By: Isuru Parakrama
October 28, Colombo (LNW): Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila has urged the government to identify and investigate an individual who posed as a senior official in the 2019 Easter Sunday attack video broadcast by Britain’s Channel 4.
Addressing a media briefing this afternoon (28), Gammanpila discussed findings from an investigative report by a committee led by retired Supreme Court Justice S.I. Imam, commissioned by the previous administration to probe the documentary’s allegations.
In his address, Gammanpila called for an inquiry to uncover the identity of the individual who, in the Channel 4 video, made allegations against Sri Lanka’s intelligence agencies and military personnel while presenting himself as a top government official.
The former MP challenged the current government, insisting, “If this individual is indeed holding a senior role within the government, action must be taken against him for treason.”
Gammanpila further urged the government to address the findings related to the attacks instead of resorting to what he described as “slander.”
However, some critics have questioned his motives, citing PHU Leader’s history of capitalising on the 2019 Easter Sunday tragedy to stoke communal fears—actions some saw as instrumental in his efforts to propel former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power.
Previously, Gammanpila publicly threatened President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to oust him via an impeachment should he fail to apologise to the public for not disclosing the reports, despite his party having an uncertain voter base to be elected by in the upcoming General Election to bring-forth such a motion in Parliament.
This briefing marks Gammanpila’s second public address on the topic, following his earlier disclosures on the two investigation reports concerning the attacks. Last week, he claimed that the committees headed by Justices S.I. Imam and A.N.J. de Alwis, appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration, had withheld information from the public.
Gammanpila’s initial statements included details from Justice A.N.J. de Alwis’s report, which purportedly recommended action against former senior Police officials Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera, who now hold prominent government roles.
Responding to Gammanpila’s statements, Government Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath asserted that a comprehensive investigation into the Easter attacks, including the reports disclosed by Gammanpila, is underway.
Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that the Supreme Court ruling on the attacks, which imposed penalties to key state figures including ex-President Maithripala Sirisena, ex-Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and ex-head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Nilantha Jayawardena for failing to avert the attack, made no mentioning of Seneviratne to be held accountable for, nor Abeysekara for that matter.
