The Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the Easter Sunday Massacre concluded that an unrest was created in the country for the assurance of the victory of one presidential candidate of the 2019 Presidential Polls who promised national security, Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said, speaking to a function held at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade today (21) marking the third anniversary of the genocide that killed more than 270 lives on an Easter Sunday.
The act of falsely charging and arresting security officials who were on their way to arrest the extremist group led by Zahran Hashim upon learning their plan to terrorise the country and later exchanging a secret letter for the assurance of ‘their own safety’ is disgustingly remarked in the Commission report, the Cardinal emphasised.
“These words imply that the Intelligence Units and the Rulers had crossed the nations creating an unrest in the country by deliberately concealing intelligence received on the Easter Attack and preventing any attempts to avert the Attack, in a bid to convey the advantage of the situation to one particular candidate, who had promised national security in his coming at the November, 2019 Presidential Election and hand over power to one party,” the Cardinal alleged.
He went on: “The act of falsely charging and arresting the team of officials who were on their way to arrest the group led by Zahran upon learning their tendencies of terror and the armory at Wanathawilluwa barring the mission and later exchanging a secret letter among the officials for the assurance of their own safety, while giving zero contemplation to those injured and killed should be remarked with utter disgust.”
Condemning former President Sirisena’s conduct throughout the process, the Cardinal added that the Commission report also reveals that President Sirisena had denied the requests made by security officials to arrest Hahsim by warning them ‘not to drag themselves into trouble by welcoming serpents at their doorstep.‘
“Mr. Sirisena’s conduct is a serious breach of responsibility and a gross negligence, the Commission report states. Although the Commission report states that he was guilty of a criminal offense via his negligence and the Attorney General, therefore should prosecute him under the provisions of the Penal Code, we cannot understand whatsoever as to why neither the Attorney General nor the government had not acted in this regard. If so, us and the general public of this country have serious doubts as to whether the present government is protecting the former President for fear of exposing their involvement in the Easter Attack through high-ranking government officials. Despite the Presidential Commission’s recommendations on prosecuting many high ranking officials, including the former President, former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Director of the State Intelligence Service Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena over serious breach of responsibility and gross negligence, the Attorney General’s Department, as well as the government, not acting on such a move raises suspicion as to whether they fear of more hidden information about the attack getting leaked,” the Cardinal noted.
MIAP
