Colombo District Judge Chathurika de Silva yesterday ruled that the verdict on the former president’s request – to dismiss 128 cases filed by the victims of the Easter Attack without being heard – will be announced on January 7, 2022. Those 128 cases have been filed by relatives of the victims, the permanently disabled and the injured, demanding compensation from former President Maithripala Sirisena for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bombing.
That was when the case was called yesterday through a motion.
President’s Counsel Faizer Mustafa, appearing for former President Maithripala Sirisena, has filed a motion in court stating that if terrorist attacks were to take place in the country in the past, hundreds of previous Presidents would also be prosecuted in connection with the Easter attacks. He further stated that the cases were filed on the assumption that Sirisena knew about the attack and that all the cases were filed without a case in accordance with the Code of Civil Procedure.
President’s Counsel Shamil Perera, appearing for the aggrieved party, requested that Maithripala Sirisena’s request be denied as the case was filed as there was a reasonable revelation that the accused had received information regarding the Easter attack in advance.
After considering the views of both parties, the court ordered that the decision on whether to dismiss the case be announced on January 07.