• Defence Secretary’s attendance yet to be confirmed

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith is set to visit the Katuwapitiya church today (6) to meet with the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, The Sunday Morning learns. 

The Cardinal is expected to discuss the ongoing pursuit of justice for the victims and update them on recent meetings he has held with the new Government.

Easter Attack Victims’ Collective Head Nishantha Mohandiram confirmed the Cardinal’s visit, stating that all those affected would be participating in the meeting.

“We no longer have confidence in previously appointed committees. What we need is not another committee but concrete actions from the new Government,” Mohandiram told The Sunday Morning.

He added that Cardinal Ranjith’s visit today was aimed at briefing the victims on the progress of discussions held with the current Government concerning unresolved issues surrounding the attacks.

The Sunday Morning also learns that Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha is expected to attend the meeting, although this was yet to be confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.

At the time of going to press, there had been no official communication from the ministry regarding his attendance, although sources indicated that the Secretary had no official engagements scheduled for this evening.

The Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS), led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to release the full report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, which has been withheld by previous administrations.

At a press conference, former SJB MP Mujibur Rahman emphasised the need for a swift investigation to prevent those responsible from escaping justice, calling on the President to use his Executive powers to initiate a new probe without delay.

Rahman also stressed the public’s right to access the full PCoI report and called for investigations into other politically sensitive cases, such as the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda.