• Claims that Govt. 's rejection on grounds of comms. memberships’ ‘compromised’ integrity is ‘irrelevant, unjustified & irresponsible’

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader and former Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila criticised the Government’s decision to reject two reports on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, which were published in the public domain by him. 

Speaking at a press conference yesterday (23), Gammanpila argued that dismissing the said reports based on allegations against the committees’ members is unjustified and irresponsible.

The reports in question were commissioned by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and they examine the possible involvement of Sri Lanka’s intelligence services in the bombings, while also addressing accusations raised in a documentary by the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 on the same. These reports were compiled by committees led by retired High Court Judge A.N.J. De Alwis and retired Supreme Court Justice S.I. Imam, respectively.

Cabinet Spokesperson, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath, addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing, claimed that the reports were politically motivated and aimed at discrediting certain individuals. He also raised concerns over the credibility of De Alwis, citing past allegations of misconduct during her judicial career. Herath, noting that the Judicial Service Commission had suspended De Alwis two years into her initial judicial appointment and requested her resignation, hence questioned the suitability of her heading an investigative committee for such a significant national issue.

However, Gammanpila dismissed these allegations as irrelevant to the validity of the reports. He emphasised that the Government had not questioned the content or the findings of the reports but had instead focused on the committees’ members’ past conduct. “The Government cannot reject a Presidential committee report simply by claiming that they cannot accept the members of the committee because of their conduct,” Gammanpila stated.

He further explained that De Alwis had been reinstated in her position in 2006 and had served in the Judiciary for 17 years thereafter. “I would like to ask whether the Government rejects all the orders she has given during the past 17 years. These matters should have been raised earlier,” he added, questioning the timing of the Government’s objections.

Gammanpila accused the Government of attempting to mislead the public by focusing on unrelated issues rather than addressing the content of the report. He noted that Herath had not responded to the report’s revelations, including the claim that former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department and incumbent Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne was informed about the impending attacks but had failed to take necessary action.