• Oppo. divided over critique of SIS
• Gammanpila wants PSC on sensitive intel
• AKD says allegations against SIS cannot be treated lightly, SJB & TNA echo similar sentiments 

The Supreme Lanka Coalition (SLC) of the Parliamentary Opposition, urged the Opposition Parliamentarians to refrain from criticising the State Intelligence Service (SIS) during the debate on the Easter Sunday attacks, while the other Parliamentary Opposition Parties, including the main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP), and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), questioned their (SIS) actions regarding the attacks.

Speaking in the Parliament yesterday (25) during the debate on the Easter Sunday attacks, SLC member and MP, attorney Udaya Gammanpila, said that MPs should not criticise the officers of the SIS and the other armed forces by alleging that they have had links with the extremists who launched the said attacks. He said that such allegations could badly affect the country’s national security and the reputation earned by those individuals and that therefore, if anyone has adequate evidence, he or she must lodge a complaint with the relevant authorities without making statements in public. 

MP Gammanpila also noted that a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) should be appointed to look into such issues that are sensitive to the country’s intelligence-related information, following the examples provided by powerful countries such as the United States. He noted that Sri Lanka has a history of endangering the security of its intelligence officers, and that such instances have caused a national security threat each time.

Meanwhile, SJB MP and Chief Opposition Whip, attorney Lakshman Kiriella, alleged that the SIS allowed the attacks to be launched even when several foreign intelligence services, including India’s Research and Analysis Wing, had informed them about the attacks in advance. He claimed that the former Chief of the SIS, incumbent Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena had reportedly received the information on the day when the attacks took place, but that all the information on his phone had been erased. 

He claimed that the SJB was not blaming the entire SIS, but a certain group of officers who have had links with the terrorists, as evidenced by how they acted in the controversial murders of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and rugger player Wasim Thajudeen. He further stated that a future SJB Government would not hand over the investigations completely to any international body, but would carry out a special investigation with domestic resources with the help of the international community.

In addition, NPP Leader and MP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, stated that the allegations levelled against certain SIS officers cannot be taken simply as they appear to be, since such matters directly deal with the integrity of the State. Questioning as to whether there was a link between the terrorists and the parties who were supposed to prevent the attacks, Dissanayake said that a proper investigation must be launched to look into the particular matter but said that the incumbent Government does not have a moral right or mandate to do so. Responding to certain allegations regarding the former JVP national list candidate, Mohamed Ibrahim, whose two sons were among the group of suicide bombers, he claimed that he was given the opportunity as he was a reputed entrepreneur in the Muslim community. 

“He was on the national list for the 2015 General Election. But, he was given the ‘Deshakeerthi' award by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and received certain awards from then Ministers like Prof. G.L. Peiris and Sujeewa Senasinghe. He was detained for about two years at the Criminal Investigations Department, but not a single case has been filed against him even to date,” he added.

Meanwhile, TNA MP, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said that the operations of the particular terrorist groups and their links with SIS officers went beyond 2005. He claimed that an SIS officer named ‘Kaleel‘ who was also accused of the murder of former MP Joseph Pararajasingham, had maintained links with such terrorists continuously for many years. He further claimed that most of these SIS officers have been members of the controversial ‘Tripoli platoon’, a military intelligence division that was allegedly led by then-Secretary to the Defence Ministry, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.