The United National Party (UNP) has called on the government to obtain all material linked to the United States investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, stating that the relevant information is currently held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice.
The party questioned whether the present government, which has reportedly resumed investigations into the attacks, has formally requested access to the US-held material. It further said that if such a request has been made, the government should disclose the response received from US authorities.
The UNP stressed that all investigative material obtained through the US probe should be made available to Sri Lankan judicial authorities to support ongoing legal processes.
Recalling earlier developments, the party noted that then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had requested a full US investigation and report on the April 21, 2019 attacks, citing limitations in domestic investigative capacity. The request, according to the UNP, was made with assurances of full cooperation from Sri Lankan authorities.
The UNP further stated that a similar request had been made during a telephone conversation between Wickremesinghe and then US President Donald Trump.
According to the statement, the FBI conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with Sri Lankan agencies, including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Military Intelligence, and the State Intelligence Service, and later submitted a report to the Sri Lankan government.
The party also referred to a 71-page affidavit filed on November 12, 2020, by FBI Special Agent Merrilee R. Godwin in the US District Court for the Central District of California, along with a criminal case filed on December 11, 2020, in the US District Court in Los Angeles, noting that several suspects named were already in Sri Lankan custody at the time.
The UNP reiterated that the US investigative material remains with the FBI and Department of Justice, urging the government to clarify whether it has sought access and to disclose any outcome of such a request.
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