- Says better to quiz incumbent AG who has filed indictments for conspiracy
The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) should consult incumbent Attorney General (AG) President's Counsel (PC) Sanjay Rajaratnam instead of recording statements from former AG Dappula de Livera PC, if any clarification is needed regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and the related investigations, a lawyer representing de Livera said.
de Livera had been informed on April 18 to appear before the TID yesterday (19), in order to record a statement on his controversial remarks pertaining to an alleged conspiracy behind the said terror attacks.
However, de Livera did not appear before the TID yesterday, instead submitted a seven pages long legal objection to the TID. He was represented by Attorney Dimitra Abeysekara. Speaking to the media, Abeysekara said that it is better for the TID to seek any clarification regarding the terror attacks from the incumbent AG, who he said has filed indictments over the terror attacks, including on charges of conspiracy. "If there is any need, it is better to get the relevant clarifications from the current AG. There is no need to record statements from a former AG," he said. Speaking further, he said that although there are certain allegations that de Livera, during his tenure as the AG, had not taken adequate steps regarding the terror attacks, the latter had referred a 130 pages long letter to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne. "It is better for the relevant agencies to record statements from the relevant officials and the incumbent AG and find out if proper actions have been taken on it."
de Livera had previously claimed that there had been a conspiracy behind the series of bomb attacks that took place on 21 April, 2019, killing a total of 269 persons and injuring over 500 others. He handled the relevant inquiry into the terror attacks right from the beginning while he served as the Solicitor General, before being appointed as the AG on 29 April, 2019, just eight days after the occurrence of the terror attacks. He retired on 25 May, 2021.