UPDATE (5.42 pm): Former President Maithripala Sirisena who arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to give evidence on the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, has left the premises shortly.

Sirisena has been issued summons to reappear at Commission for the sixth time.

Accordingly, he is to appear before the Commission on October 24.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

He has been summoned to continue his testimony on the events that occurred in April, last year.

The former President gave evidence at the Commission on four previous occasions, and this would be his fifth session with the commission.

Giving evidence before the panel on previous occasions, the former President had stated that his government was unable to suppress the activities of extremist groups, due to action by foreign embassies and NGOs, who worked in defense of the rights of these organizations.

He also stated that the Heads of States do not bear the full responsibility for the mishaps that take place in a country and that it is the responsibility of the security forces to suppress it.

In the last session, Sirisena claimed that the former IGP and Defense Secretary were lying and stated that the error which led to the tragic events was ‘not informing’.