Today is yet another Easter Sunday for Sri Lankans, especially the Catholic community, without justice for the hundreds of victims killed in the 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Tomorrow (21) marks the sixth anniversary of the attacks, and the Catholic Church continues to hold President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Government to the pledge given to the country’s Catholic community and Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith that justice would be ensured for the Easter Sunday attacks victims.
The Cardinal and the Catholic Church have continuously been reminding the President and his Government of the pledge given by AKD at the Katuwapitiya Church – which witnessed the highest number of deaths in the 2019 attacks – that justice would be meted out without any further delay.
While fighting for justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, a report published by the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) called ‘Five Years Since Easter Sunday Attacks: Still Awaiting Justice’ to mark the fifth anniversary of the attacks last year makes an interesting revelation. This report shows that the actual number of people killed in the 2019 attacks was unclear, with various numbers being stated in various reports and court cases.
According to the report, one chapter in the Presidential Commission states the number of deaths was 276 while another chapter states it was 271; the Malalgoda Committee report states it was 259; the case against former President Maithripala Sirisena states it was 315; the case against Hemasiri Fernando states it was 268; the Parliamentary Select Committee report states it was 217; and the Supreme Court verdict notes it was over 200.
Easter attacks probe
Meanwhile, President AKD, after pledging justice for the Easter Sunday attack victims, also claimed earlier this month that positive action on the probe into the attacks would be seen before Monday (21). This leaves the President with today (20) to make the great revelation.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, meanwhile, in its special message for Easter, stressed the urgency of ascertaining who the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 were and who aided and abetted the acts.
“While we appreciate the efforts made so far, we insist that, as a matter of urgency and justice, the final aim of the inquiries should be to ascertain who the perpetrators are and those who have aided and abetted the dastardly act. We shall continue to pray earnestly for wisdom and courage for the leaders of our country, as well as solace and healing for the victims,” the statement noted.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala revealed in Parliament during the last session prior to the New Year that a significant amount of information had been uncovered linking Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan to the Easter Sunday attacks.
Pillayan, a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader in the Eastern Province before entering mainstream politics and becoming Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with an abduction of a Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University in 2006. Pillayan has currently been detained for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The FBI’s mastermind
Amidst the focus on the Easter Sunday attacks probe, an affidavit submitted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the United States District Court for the Central District of California identifying Zahran Hashim as the mastermind behind the 2019 attacks also surfaced last week.
The FBI affidavit, dated 11 December 2020 by Special Agent Merrilee R. Goodwin, has definitively identified Hashim as the mastermind behind the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
“Jahran Mohamed Cassim, also known as Mohamad Cassim Mohamad Zahran, aka Zahran Hashim, was the mastermind behind the Easter attacks and the self-proclaimed leader of ISIS in Sri Lanka,” the affidavit has stated.
“... Mohamed Naufar, Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Riskan, and Ahamed Milhan Hayathu Moahmed for conspiring to provide, providing, and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, namely ISIS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B,” the affidavit has also stated.
RW’s intervention
Meanwhile, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe faced some backlash over an attempt by him to speak to Pillayan, who is currently being held under a detention order. One of Wickremesinghe’s security personnel, PSO Ashoka Ariyawansa, had allegedly called CID Chief Police Inspector Madhawa Gunawardena and had informed him (Gunawardena) that Wickremesinghe wanted to speak to Pillayan.
The CID officer had turned down the request and had informed the senior officers in the department about the request made by Wickremesinghe. This information had resulted in the law enforcement authorities looking at the possibility of having to record a statement from Wickremesinghe over an alleged attempt to interfere in an investigation.
Wickremesinghe’s attempt to speak to Pillayan even made it to social media, with several media activists putting up posts claiming that the former President had come forward to Pillayan’s defence. However, Public Security Minister Wijepala said the request had been denied because it was illegal for a suspect in custody to communicate by phone.
Meanwhile, former Member of Parliament (MP) Udaya Gammanpila had been granted permission to meet with Chandrakanthan (Pillayan) as Gammanpila had requested the meeting in his capacity as Chandrakanthan’s legal counsel, Wijepala added. Accordingly, Gammanpila was recently allowed to visit the CID and speak with Pillayan in the presence of CID officers.
Udaya stands for Pillayan
Gammanpila claimed that Pillayan is a patriot since he had played a pivotal role in defeating the LTTE during the period of the war by defecting from the terrorist organisation and joining with Government forces. He noted that Pillayan had broken down crying, questioning if he was being penalised for helping the country defeat the LTTE, placing his life at risk.
Gammanpila stated that he had spoken with Pillayan last Sunday (13) in the presence of four Police officers. “This was after the President and the Minister of Public Security made statements implying Pillayan was connected to the Easter Sunday attacks. Pillayan has not said a single word about the Easter Sunday attacks, as he knows nothing about it to even make such a statement,” the former MP noted.
He further claimed: “If someone is accusing a person who was in custody from 2015 to 2020 of being involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, then that person’s mental state needs to be examined. There are many politicians who have taken photos with Zahran. If one of them was arrested as the mastermind, at least there would be a small basis for such a claim.”
According to Gammanpila, the President had given an assurance that he would make key revelations in relation to the Easter Sunday attacks before the sixth anniversary of the 2019 attacks and he is now running out of time.
However, Pillayan’s friend from LTTE times, Iniyabarathi, has dismissed Gammanpila’s claim that Pillayan had cried while speaking to him in CID custody, saying he (Pillayan) would never cry in such a manner.
Shan’s revelation
Meanwhile, a statement made by Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam in Parliament in 2024 is once again being shared on social media.
In his parliamentary speech, Rasamanickam notes that Pillayan had been released from custody since he could reveal details of crimes that would connect many influential individuals and urges the then Government to apprehend Pillayan and question him about many crimes committed in the past as he possesses much information about them. “If one person is taken into custody and questioned, everything (crimes) that had happened since 2005 can be uncovered,” the MP claims.
Catching small fish
Amidst the focus on the Easter Sunday attacks probe, the Government’s ongoing action to crack down on alleged financial mismanagement and irregularities during previous governments is facing criticism by some sections of the Opposition.
Several Opposition politicians, including MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, who is in remand custody, have claimed that the JVP/NPP Government will only catch a few ‘small fish’ instead of big ones. “I am the only sitting MP the present Government has arrested,” Dasanayake has added.
However, the political rumour mill is working overtime these days, with news about several former VIPs facing litigation and arrest in the coming weeks.
RW before Bribery Comm.
Apart from trying to intervene in Pillayan’s case, former President Wickremesinghe was summoned before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to be questioned about a statement made by him regarding the bribery allegation against MP Dasanayake that has put him behind bars.
Wickremesinghe had been asked to appear before the CIABOC on Thursday (17), and he had agreed but requested another date since the summons had been issued during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holiday period, when he and his legal team were not in Colombo.
Wickremesinghe had also drawn attention to the “world record speed” at which the CIABOC had acted by summoning him soon after he made a public statement regarding Dasanayake’s arrest. Wickremesinghe had stated that Dasanayake had withdrawn the money on a directive issued by the then Government when he was Prime Minister.
After meeting Dasanayake’s family members, Wickremesinghe has stated that at the time he had been the Prime Minister and the Treasury Secretary had issued a circular with the consent of then President Maithripala Sirisena. The circular had prohibited Provincial Councils from keeping funds in deposit accounts and the funds had to be spent within a particular year, or else, it was required that the remaining funds be returned to the provincial or central Finance Ministry.
Wickremesinghe in his statement had explained that the step had been taken to prevent any illegal use of deposited funds for other purposes. He has noted that Dasanayake and several other chief ministers had thereafter spoken to him (Wickremesinghe) and informed him about their inability to abide by the circular. Accordingly, they had withdrawn money from the accounts, not just in the Uva Province but also in other provinces.
The former President has also questioned how it had been announced that Dasanayake had been arrested even while he was under interrogation, noting that Dasanayake was an Opposition MP who spoke strongly in Parliament and there was a big question if his speeches in the House were connected to his arrest.
According to Wickremesinghe, Dasanayake should seek an inquiry from Parliament over the violation of his parliamentary privileges.
Facing the trade crisis
Be that as it may, one of the biggest hurdles for President AKD and his Government at present is overcoming the adverse impact the country’s economy will be faced with due to the 44% reciprocal trade tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump on Sri Lanka.
Fitch Ratings has noted that the implementation of US trade tariffs will increase the risks of credit metrics of countries in the Asia-Pacific with low external buffers, such as Sri Lanka. It has said that implementation of reciprocal tariffs will weigh on the credit metrics of many sovereigns in the Asia-Pacific and risks will rise if higher country-specific tariffs are eventually implemented.
The Government, it is learnt, is sending a high-level delegation to the US this week to hold direct discussions with the US Trade Representative on the reciprocal trade tariffs imposed on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has already held two rounds of virtual discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative as part of efforts to address reciprocal tariffs, according to Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando. During the discussions, Sri Lanka has presented proposals aimed at narrowing the trade gap, while also requesting further dialogue on the matter.
Fernando has stated that a second letter outlining Sri Lanka’s position had also been sent to the US President through the Sri Lankan mission in Washington.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung once again made the gossip rounds among political circles over her alleged response to the Government upon inquiries made about the US plans on imposing reciprocal trade tariffs on Sri Lanka.
According to the grapevine, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath had been informed by Chung that the new trade tariff was unlikely to have a severe impact on Sri Lanka and that the Government should not worry when the former had inquired from the envoy about the new tariffs and the possible impact on the country.
Kavinda and Jeevan’s role
The holding of the all-party meeting by President AKD on 10 April did not receive extensive media coverage, especially in the print media, due to the New Year holidays that started from 11 April. However, interesting bits of news related to the meeting can now be revealed, starting from the individuals who had requested the President to convene an all-party meeting.
While many Opposition MPs had called on the President to convene an all-party meeting, it is learnt that there were two individuals who had made the first request from the President to hold an all-party meeting – MPs Kavinda Jayawardana and Jeevan Thondaman.
Interestingly, Jayawardana, who represents the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and Thondaman, who represents the United National Party (UNP) in Parliament, had arrived at the meeting in one vehicle.
AKD’s address
At the outset of the meeting, President AKD had explained to the party leaders the actions taken by the Government since the US had announced the new tariffs on Sri Lanka. The President had also outlined the work that had been and was being carried out by the committee appointed by him to study and make recommendations on how the country should address the challenges posed by the trade tariffs.
AKD had also requested the gathering not to divulge the details discussed at the all-party meeting to the media or any other external parties, saying that the President’s Media Division (PMD) would issue a statement about the meeting.
It is learnt that the party leaders at the meeting had agreed to not divulge details discussed at the meeting.
Dilith’s speech
Once the meeting got underway after President AKD had briefed the gathering, Sarvajana Balaya MP Dilith Jayaweera had read out a statement that included proposals from the Sarvajana Balaya to address the challenges posed by the US trade tariffs. The rest of the attendees had watched the long statement being read out by Jayaweera.
Jayaweera has also stated that the US decision to impose a 90-day pause on proposed new tariffs by President Trump has created an opportunity for Sri Lanka to engage in broader negotiations with the US administration for mutual benefits.
Breaking the agreement
However, once the meeting concluded and the party leaders started to make their way out of the Presidential Secretariat, several Opposition members had broken the agreement reached at the meeting to not divulge details and revealed some details that had been discussed.
There was a large contingent of media personnel outside the Presidential Secretariat to speak to the participants of the all-party meeting. Jayaweera, when approached by the media, refrained from giving out details, saying there was an agreement not to release details of the discussion.
SJB MP Harsha de Silva meanwhile gave quite a bit of detail on the discussion that had taken place at the meeting.
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, when approached by the media, said that he would be issuing a statement on the meeting.
Sajith’s statement
Premadasa made a special statement on the proposals made by him at the all-party meeting.
Among the proposals were the need to send a special delegation with experts on international trade to the US to engage in further discussions on Sri Lanka’s case, engage with other countries in the region affected by the US tariffs to form a strategy to address the challenges, turn to other trade agreements that could provide similar trade benefits with other markets, and diversify Sri Lanka’s export markets.
Premadasa also emphasised the importance of retaining the European Union’s (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions to ensure Sri Lanka’s exports sector does not face an unprecedented blow and the need for the Government to renegotiate the terms of the ongoing programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Diga’s predicament
An interesting incident had also taken place after the all-party meeting. The incident had taken place when Jayawardana and Thondaman had arrived at the Presidential Secretariat doorway to leave the premises.
Thondaman had called for his vehicle, in which both Jayawardana and he had arrived for the meeting, and was about to get in the vehicle when he had seen another person inside. He had been surprised to see Opposition MP P. Digambaram inside his vehicle on a telephone call.
Realising that it was a long telephone call, Thondaman had intervened and asked Digambaram whether he could exit the vehicle since he (Thondaman) and Jayawardana wanted to leave the premises. Digambaram had then looked around and realised that he had mistakenly got into Thondaman’s vehicle.
Digamabaram had immediately got down from the vehicle while apologising, while both Jayawardana and Thondaman had been laughing, resulting in everyone including Digambaram also bursting into laughter.
RW’s warning
Former President Wickremesinghe meanwhile has reiterated that Sri Lanka faces the potential loss of more than 100,000 jobs in the country as a result of the new trade tariff policy being implemented by the US.
Describing the situation as an economic emergency, the former President has urged the Government to inform the public of the steps it is taking to address the looming crisis.
“One direct consequence of this will be job losses. Some estimate that over 100,000 jobs are at risk. Whether the number is exactly that or slightly lower, the figure is set to rise,” he noted.
He has noted that the impact will not be limited to jobholders alone but will ripple across the broader economy.
IMF’s take
Meanwhile, an IMF team led by Evan Papageorgiou visited Colombo from 3 to 11 April and stated at the conclusion of the mission that it would continue discussions to conclude a Staff-Level Agreement later due to an uncertain economic trajectory.
“The recent external shock and evolving developments are creating uncertainty for the Sri Lankan economy, which is still recovering from its own economic crisis,” the mission stated, adding: “More time is needed to assess the impact of the global shock and how its implications for Sri Lanka can be addressed within the contours of its IMF-supported programme.”
The mission, while commending the Government for the many steps taken so far to ensure economic stability, further noted that against increased global uncertainty, sustained revenue mobilisation efforts and prudent budget execution in line with Budget 2025 would be critical to preserve the limited fiscal space.
Another austerity move
The Government meanwhile is continuing to push out news about the many austerity measures undertaken by its members.
It is in this backdrop that the Government has announced its latest move. This time around, nearly 20 Government ministers and deputy ministers have informed the Secretary General of Parliament in writing that they no longer require the fuel allowance assigned to them as MPs.
MPs usually receive a fuel allowance in addition to the allowance received for the ministerial posts. These ministers have therefore noted that the fuel allowance for their ministerial post was sufficient and that the MPs’ fuel allowance could be discontinued for them.
An MP is entitled to a fuel allowance based on the distance between their place of residence and Parliament, which ranges between Rs. 250,000 and Rs. 450,000. Accordingly, those from the Northern Province receive the highest allowances.
Meanwhile, SJB MP Chithral Fernando has noted that despite the Government taking action to stop corruption, fraud, and wastage, its benefits were yet to reach the people.
Collecting payments
However, it is learnt that despite the moves by the JVP/NPP ministers to decline their MPs’ fuel allowance and to accept only the salary of an MP instead of that being given to ministers, all ruling party MPs have accepted all payments that had been paid since the JVP/NPP Government assumed office last year until letters were sent to Parliament between March and this month directing the latest decisions.
According to reports, Parliament’s Finance Department in January had allotted Rs. 15 million to the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister as well as deputy ministers, which had included office overheads of Rs. 5 million, Rs. 2.5 million for official phones, and Rs. 6.1 million for fuel allowances.
In addition to the attendance allowances, Rs. 750,000 had reportedly been paid as additional transport allowances and the total cost of their maintenance for January was Rs. 72 million.
While a first-time MP reportedly receives a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, according to the Parliament expenditure report, all MPs had received this allowance, which had cost Rs. 9,337,020.
A total of 172 MPs had received Rs. 17.2 million as their allowances to maintain an office, at the rate of Rs. 100,000 per head.
The total fuel expenditure had stood at Rs. 23 million and an additional Rs. 8.6 million worth of phone allowances and transport costs of Rs. 2.5 million had also been borne by Parliament, according to the news report.
Lalkantha’s conundrum
Meanwhile, senior JVP/NPP member, Minister K.D. Lalkantha made an interesting comment about the large number of MPs representing the party in Parliament. During an online interview, Lalkantha noted that he sometimes faced a problem in identifying MPs representing the JVP/NPP when he saw them in Parliament.
He explained that given the large number of NPPers who had entered Parliament following last year’s Parliamentary Election, he could not recognise most of them since they were mostly from the NPP and many who had not been in the frontlines of campaigning had been elected to the House.
“Sometimes when I see MPs from our party, I have doubts as to whether they are from our party or from Sajith Premadasa’s party. At such times I keep quiet since I’m not in a position to even ask them if they are from my party,” he said, laughing.
Harsha’s revelation
SJB MP Harsha de Silva meanwhile made a revelation on social media about a project that was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka. The project was the temperature-controlled storage facility in Dambulla that was virtually opened by Modi.
De Silva had visited the facility in Dambulla on Tuesday (15) and showed video footage of the facility that was locked up, claiming that the Government had misled the people by announcing its opening when the facility was still locked up. Taking to social media during his visit, de Silva posted a video of the facility that was deserted at the time.
The storage facility in Dambulla was mooted by de Silva during the ‘Yahapalana’ Government and construction of the project had commenced in 2019. The video posted by de Silva also shows the plaque that was opened by Modi during the opening and notes a mistake on it saying it is not only a temperature-controlled facility but also a humidity-controlled one.
“The gates (in the facility) were locked, but there was a [telephone] number on the gate and I called the number and got the person to come and open the gates saying I wanted to see the place,” the Opposition MP says, while checking the place. Cold rooms and preheating rooms were all shut.
Polls for 18 more
All parties meanwhile have re-commenced campaign work for the Local Government Elections following the New Year holidays with President AKD continuing to lead the JVP/NPP campaign.
The Court of Appeal meanwhile has lifted the interim injunction that had previously halted the conduct of Local Government Elections for 18 local bodies, including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).
The decision was delivered on 11 April, clearing the way for elections to proceed for these councils. The interim order issued earlier on 7 April had suspended the holding of elections for 18 Local Government bodies on 6 May. Elections for these local bodies are now expected to be held on 6 May following the latest ruling.
However, the Election Commission stated last week that postal voting in 18 Local Government bodies, including the CMC, would be delayed due to the postponement of printing of postal ballot papers, following the interim injunction that prevented the holding of Local Government Elections for 18 bodies on the scheduled date for the polls, 6 May.
Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake stated that the commission was studying the court rulings and taking steps to inform the Government Printer.
Blocking funds
The ruling party meanwhile is being accused of flouting election laws, with the accusation being directed at the President as well.
SJB MP Rohini Wijeratne Kavirathna in a letter to the Election Commission and the Matale District Assistant Commissioner has complained about a leaflet that has been distributed by the JVP/NPP, which indicates that funds for local bodies that are secured by the Opposition at the upcoming polls will be blocked.
Kavirathna had attached the leaflet to her letter stating that local bodies receive funds from the Central Government and that the administration of a local body could fall if it is won by another party. “Even the President has made a similar remark at a recent meeting,” the MP has noted.
Meanwhile, the President had said during a recent public meeting: “Before allocating funds, we have to inquire who is sending the proposal. If the Mannar Urban Council is with the NPP, then we will allocate funds with our eyes closed. However, if it is with another party, we will have to study the proposal at least 10 times. Why? Because we are not sure of those people.”
Responding to the President’s statement, Opposition Leader Premadasa noted: “This kind of ‘tom pacha’ politics is short-lived. The President is trying to fool the people by saying that no funds will be allocated to councils without NPP control; do not be discouraged by such petty political intimidation.”
SJBers disgruntled
Meanwhile, many SJB members have started to notice a concerning behaviour of the party leadership as well as the SJB Media Unit. These members have noted that Party Leader Premadasa is engaged in building his image and not that of any other party members.
The ongoing Local Government Elections campaign meetings have revealed that it is only Premadasa and his speeches that are being promoted by the party and no prominence is being given to any other party senior or even the candidates contesting the upcoming polls.
A group of party seniors during a recent discussion had noted that it seemed Premadasa was working only to promote himself and build his image and that the party’s Media Unit also sent out only his speeches for media coverage.
Range-Rajitha clash
The UNP meanwhile is facing a new internal crisis with former General Secretary of the UNP Palitha Range Bandara, who had maintained a low profile for some months, creating quite a stir during a recent meeting of the party’s Working Committee.
Range Bandara had stood and claimed that various allegations slandering him were being circulated among members of the party. He had said that among the accusations being levelled against him, one was that he was unable to face the party or its members since he had cheated the party of its funds and had collected monies himself.
Range Bandara had hit out saying that there had not been any financial irregularities under his tenure as the Party General Secretary and that he had in fact spent his funds to serve the party for years. The former UNP General Secretary had accused former Parliamentarian Rajitha Senaratne of making some of the slanderous statements.
Senaratne had immediately dismissed the allegation, saying that he had not made any slanderous comments about Range Bandara, resulting in the latter taking out his mobile phone and threatening to play a recording where Senaratne had allegedly made false statements about him.
Range Bandara had also turned to Party Leader Wickremesinghe and asked whether the recording he (Range Bandara) had shown the former President of Senaratne’s comments were not true. Wickremesinghe had reluctantly accepted that the recordings of Senaratne’s alleged statements were real.
When Kithsiri Manchanayake had stood to intervene and interrupt Range Bandara’s emotional statement, the latter had asked him not to do so, saying that he had to clear his name since no one else in the party seemed to understand the gravity of the accusations levelled against him.
Threat to expose
Finally, Range Bandara had told the party leadership and seniors that he would give them two weeks to address his complaint and to take action against the slanderers as well as clear his name before the party membership.
Not stopping at that, Range Bandara had threatened to expose the irregularities that had been taking place in the party and the actions of some individuals that were harmful for the party.
Former First Lady’s drama
The 2025 ‘World Summit’ of the Universal Peace Federation in South Korea was held from 10-14 April and several Sri Lankan politicians had left on 8 April to attend the summit.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena and several other politicians, including SJB MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Sanjaya Perera, had flown to attend the summit on SriLankan Airlines flight UL 470.
Interestingly, a former First Lady had also travelled on the same flight to attend the summit. While Sirisena and the former First Lady had occupied seats in the Business Class section of the flight, the SJB MPs and Sirisena’s son, Daham Sirisena, had travelled in economy class.
The former First Lady, it is learnt, had been travelling with her security of five military personnel, including three female personnel. Former President Sirisena had travelled alone, without any security personnel. However, the former First Lady had created quite a stir during the flight and had first asked the staff to make arrangements for one of her security personnel to sit with her in Business Class.
The flight crew had said they were unable to do that and the former First Lady had asked the cabin crew to contact the relevant officials and make the necessary arrangements to accommodate her request. The cabin crew had informed the former First Lady that they were unable to accommodate her request.
Neither Sirisena, Madduma Bandara, nor Perera had spoken to the former First Lady during or after the flight.
The return flight, UL 471, had arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday (14). However, the return flight had also witnessed some drama with the boarding process for the flight being held up until the former First Lady’s purse, which she had forgotten and left in the airport lounge, had been brought to her.