The 12 Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara, the Cabinet members and several other parties for allegedly failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks was taken up before the Supreme Court for consideration today (25).

The Supreme Court judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayewardene, Prasanna Jayewardene, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Murdu Fernando sat for the petition hearing.

Attorney General Dappula de Livera told the Supreme Court that the IGP was previously ordered to submit a revised affidavit with limited objections, instead of the one submitted on the 17th of July.

However, the revised affidavit submitted by the IGP also makes baseless, absurd allegations against the Attorney General and the officers of his department, AG Dappula de Livera alleged during the hearing.

Hence, the Attorney General requested the judge bench to reject the IGP’s revised affidavit as it is against the court order that asked him to present only limited objections.

Attorney-at-Law Viran Corea, speaking on behalf of the Attorney General, told the Supreme Court that his client has not levelled any baseless allegations against any party on a personal level.

Attorney Corea further stated that the IGP has only mentioned what he had to go through in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Speaking further, he said an official of the Attorney General’s Department had recently released a media release directing several accusations against his client regarding the terror attacks and that the revised affidavit only clarified the relevant accusations.

Following a lengthy hearing, the Supreme Court judge bench ruled that the IGP’s affidavit submitted on the 23rd of September will only be relied upon while the previous affidavits would be disallowed.