The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday carnage today (24) has sternly warned former President Maithripala Sirisena, his personal secretary and the three Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo against issuing media releases on the panel’s ongoing proceedings.

The former President’s personal secretary, in a letter issued on Sunday (20), had alleged that the former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has been maliciously lying before the Commission.

In the meantime, the three Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo had released a statement dismissing the controversial testimony made by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harin Fernando that His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith could have been aware of the Easter attacks beforehand.

The PCoI issued notices on the former President, his personal secretary and the Auxiliary Bishops on Wednesday to appear before the PCoI on Easter Attacks this morning.

Former President Sirisena did not appear before the commission today while he was represented by the attorney Maithree Gunaratne PC. However, Mr Sameera de Silva who is the personal secretary of the former President, did appear before the commission.  

One of the three Auxiliary Bishops had appeared before the commission representing all three of them. 

The commission emphasized that the former President need not have issued such a statement as he is due to appear before the commission and testify in the future and warned not to issue such statements in the future.

In addition to this the Auxiliary Bishops were also warned against issuing any such statements hereafter.