Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila has called for legal action against CID Director Shani Abeysekara and Ministry of Public Security Secretary Ravi Seneviratne, stating that the recent court verdict against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara sets a precedent that should apply equally to the two officials.
He made these remarks at a media briefing held today, in the wake of the ruling holding Fernando and Jayasundara criminally liable over their failure to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
Gammanpila's argument rested on the premise that if Fernando and Jayasundara could be found culpable for failing to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the attacks, then Abeysekara and Seneviratne faced allegations of a similar or even more serious nature.
He alleged that both officials had prior knowledge of investigations connected to Zahran Hashim, the mastermind behind the bombings, and claimed that multiple failures had occurred in the handling of intelligence and investigative processes in the period leading up to the attacks.
He also revealed that an earlier investigation into the conduct of Abeysekara and Seneviratne had been discontinued following a change of government, and called for that inquiry to be reopened without delay.
Gammanpila urged the government to temporarily remove Abeysekara from his position as CID Director and Seneviratne from his role as Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security for the duration of any renewed investigation.
The renewed calls for accountability reflect continuing public pressure over unresolved questions surrounding the Easter Sunday attacks, more than six years after the bombings claimed hundreds of lives. It remains to be seen whether the Government will act on Gammanpila's demand to reopen the stalled investigation or take any steps regarding the two officials named.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest