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Easter Sunday massacres: Rishad and his brother arrested for alleged links with bombers
View(s):Former minister and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) early yesterday on charges of aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attackers.
They were taken into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The ACMC leader was arrested at his home in Bauddhaloka Mawatha while his brother was taken into custody in Wellawatta.
They were arrested based on statements given by witnesses, circumstantial evidence and scientific evidence collected by investigators, Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana stated.
Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said yesterday that the former minister and his brother were arrested following a long-running joint investigation by the CID and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). He claimed that there was evidence that the suspects had maintained links with the Easter Sunday suicide bombers and aided and abetted them to amass funds to carry out their activities.
While police have already forwarded eight files on the eight suicide bombings carried out on that day to the Attorney General, he said suspects were still being taken into custody from time to time as more evidence emerged.
The CID was allowed yesterday to detain the two suspects for 72 hours for questioning.
Issuing a statement via his personal Facebook page before he was taken into custody, former minister Bathiudeen called his arrest “unjust.”
His family lawyers issued a statement saying the family conveys “their shock and surprise on the sudden and unannounced arrests.”
Claiming that the arrests were politically motivated, the statement called on ACMC members to stay calm and continue the fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.
In his social media statement, Mr Bathiudeen also said the CID had not informed the Speaker of Parliament of him being arrested prior to coming to his home to take him into custody. “I’m a Member of Parliament and a leader of a political party. If I’m to be arrested, they must first inform the Speaker,” he insisted.
When contacted, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena confirmed that police had only informed him of Mr Bathiudeen’s arrest after he was taken into custody. He, however, noted there was no law specifying that the Speaker should be informed prior to an MP being arrested and that it was merely a convention. “Police, however, will have to guarantee his safety to us,” he added.