The Catholic National Committee for Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims today launched a scathing attack on the manner in which investigations are taking place into the attacks up till present and slammed the “apathetic and complete lackadaisical approach” being demonstrated towards the implementation of the recommendations made in the final report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Attacks.
Issuing a statement, the committee said that a total of 1,035 days have already lapsed since the brutal and ruthless Easter Sunday attacks had been carried out on the 21st April 2019, which cost 270 lives and had altogether caused injuries for over 500 people.
“Despite the carnage, brutality, destruction and immense pain caused to us, we are astounded and are still standing together with our people who are earnestly pleading for truth and justice to be granted to them,” stressed the committee, which comprises Catholic Bishops, priests and lawyers.
It said that all these victims have a basic fundamental requirement to be ensured that the truth concerning the main mastermind, main perpetrators, all those who aided and abetted to carry out these terrorist attacks, and all those who were negligent in fulfilling their duties by their acts and omissions which paved the way for such gruesome attacks, be fully exposed and be dealt with in the interests of Justice in complete adherence to the rule of law of this country.
“Nevertheless, we are at this stage despondent and are having serious doubts as to whether any of these expectations of our people would ever be met, when taking into consideration the manner in which the investigations are taking place into these attacks up till present and the apathetic and complete lackadaisical approach being demonstrated towards the implementation of the recommendations made in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on Easter Attacks Final Report dated 31st January 2021.”
The committee alleged that prior to the order being pronounced by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar unanimously ordering to acquit and release the former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, several media reports had been already circulating to the effect that legal experts point out that there is a high probability that these Accused would be so acquitted as the State has failed to prove any of the charges filed by the Attorney General’s Department beyond a reasonable doubt.
The statement further reads:
“Moreover, despite the said Commission of Inquiry very firmly and clearly recommending to consider instituting Criminal Proceedings against the Former President Maithripala Sirisena and the Former Director - State Intelligence Service DIG Nilantha Jayawardena for Criminal Negligence, no steps have been taken whatsoever to even consider the same.
As disclosed in the Final Report of the said Commission of Inquiry, subsequent to the then Director State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka - DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, receiving prior direct, serious and sensitive information regarding these probable attacks through an Indian Intelligence Agency on four occasions, namely, by the 4th April 2019, 5th April 2019, 20th April 2019 and yet again on the 21st April 2019, which clearly linked to the organization of the National Thawheed Jamaat, its leader - Zaharan Hashim and his associates which had been closely monitored by our Country’s Security Divisions for several years, there were no steps taken whatsoever by either of such Security Divisions at such crucial juncture to even strengthen the security of any Catholic/Christian Church or any tourist hotel.
Instead, we were dismayed to observe that the said DIG Nilantha Jayawardena had been made a Crown Witness by the State in the prosecution conducted by them in the said Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar case carried out against Hemasiri Fernando and Pujith Jayasundara.
Accordingly, we are of the firm view that the granting such a degree of immunity to an Officer in the nature of the said DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who had neglected and failed to dispense his duties without any such due vigilance and professionalism, and instead making such person a Crown Witness would lead to a complete miscarriage and an erosion of Justice in these circumstances.
Furthermore, taking into consideration the aforesaid we express the serious concern that there would now arise a high likelihood that all such officers against whom Criminal Proceedings are recommended to be instituted by the aforesaid Commission of Inquiry in its Final Report dated 31st January 2021 may not be properly carried out and would be all fully discharged. Thereby our people would be completely denied of our fundamental cry for truth and justice.
Therefore, we urgently appeal that in all due fairness and in the interests of upholding justice in this Country, that the remaining Volumes of the aforesaid Commission of Inquiry which probed into the Easter Sunday Attacks be made available to us with immediate effect. We also move to urge all the organs of the State of this Nation to collectively uphold and safeguard the rights and interests of our people whose dignity and lives were crushed to the ground, and not to continue to act in such manner which betrays our trust reposed in you.”
