• Claims ‘serious problem’ with report preparation procedure & queries lack of subject matter expertise & findings contrary to SC verdict  
• Studying process & possible action against Gammanpila 

While claiming that there is a serious problem with the procedure followed in preparing the report on the Easter Sunday terror attacks which was released by former Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (21), the Presidential Secretariat Legal Director, attorney J.M. Wijebandara said that it is also problematic as to how a group with no subject knowledge is able to come up with conclusions on a matter that goes against the judgment given by the Supreme Court (SC) in relation to the same.

The report of the Committee of Inquiry (CoI), chaired by retired High Court Judge A.N.J. De Alwis, appointed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to investigate the actions taken by the State Intelligence Service (SIS), the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), and the other relevant authorities concerning prior intelligence information received about the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019, was released by Gammanpila yesterday.

Commenting to The Daily Morning on the matter, Wijebandara said that there were 13 cases filed before the SC over the terror attacks, adding that the SC had gone through all the relevant matters in hearing those cases. "The SC, having studied everything, ruled on who is responsible for neglecting the possibility of an attack. When the SC has ruled on it, how can three persons with no subject knowledge come to conclusions against the SC's ruling?"

Noting that the relevant report is believed to have been handed over to the then President on 14 September, soon before the Presidential Election held on 21 September, he said that the procedure followed in preparing it and submitting it to the President is seriously problematic. "The Presidential Election was on 21 September. On 14 September, this report was signed and left. We don't even know if it was handed over. Not even a picture of an event to hand it over is there."

Speaking further, Wijebandara said that someone, instead of informing the newly elected President or newly appointed President's Secretary, having taken the relevant report home, is also illegal. "When the transition of power took place, this should have been informed to the President or the President's Secretary. It hasn't happened either. Therefore, we are also studying this whole process."

In response to a query by The Daily Morning as to whether Gammanpila being in possession of the relevant report would be dealt with under the Official Secrets Act, No. 32 of 1955, he said that the matter is still being studied. "I can't mention a definite legislation at this moment."

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the Archbishop of Colombo, Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, when contacted by The Daily Morning, said that the Catholic Church would reveal its stance on Gammanpila releasing the report, at a media briefing to be held this morning (22).

The Committee, which prepared the report in question, examined potential failures by the Police and the SIS regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks. 

Gammanpila had earlier said that he would give President Anura Kumara Dissanayake time until 10 a.m. yesterday to make public the two investigative reports in question and vowed to release them himself if the President failed to do so. Accordingly, speaking to the media yesterday after the said deadline had ended, he said that one of the two reports – the one prepared by the De Alwis Committee – would be made public yesterday, while the remaining report would be released to the public on 28 October.