5th Column

My dear Pujith and Hemasiri,

I am writing to both of you because you were acquitted of all charges against you with regard to those deadly Easter attacks some three years ago. I am sure you must be very happy about this, but it makes us wonder even more about why those attacks occurred and who the mastermind behind them was.

Pujith and Hemasiri, when the verdict was announced, we would have expected you to come out of court and say something triumphant about how the truth prevailed and justice was done in the end – especially you, Pujith, because as Police Chief you hardly missed a chance to speak to a microphone.

Instead, what we saw was a deafening silence. Both of you said nothing, and even your smiles had to be coaxed out of you. We do wonder why. Are you still anxious about your future and want to retire quietly? Or are you too worried about those feared white vans appearing on your doorstep one day?

What also surprised us was the manner in which you were acquitted. We are told that you were each indicted on 855 charges each and those prosecuting you in the AG’s office had listed over a thousand witnesses to testify against you. At least on paper, that sounded like a very strong case against you.

Yet, you were acquitted without the defence witnesses even being called. The judges who acquitted you also had some harsh words for the AG’s office saying they should think twice before framing charges and that delivering justice does not mean finding people guilty without evidence against them.

This makes us wonder, Pujith and Hemasiri, what the AG’s office has done in this case. There are some very learned – and very honest – men and women there, so how is it that they made such a glaring mistake? Or is it that they too, like many other government officials, do what they are told to do?

We ask that question because recently there has been a spate of cases that have been dropped because there isn’t enough evidence to prosecute many others: against Basil in the ‘Divineguma’ case, against Johnston and Rohitha in bribery cases and against Mahindananda for alleged misappropriation!

Anyway, Pujith and Hemasiri, while you must surely be happy that your trial is over, I feel there is at least one other person who must be very worried now because of your verdict. That is your minister in charge and Commander-in-Chief at the time of the attacks, none other than Aiyo Sirisena.

A Commission appointed by Aiyo Sirisena himself determined that he should be charged for a criminal offence for allowing the attacks to occur but instead, they charged you. Now that you have been acquitted, perhaps the next logical step is to follow the Commission’s recommendations?

I wouldn’t count on it, because Aiyo Sirisena is as slippery as they come. Right now, he is making noises against the ‘pohottuwa’ chaps and threatening to leave them because he is being given step-motherly treatment, but he hasn’t done so. I would bet a litre of petrol that, in the end, he won’t leave.

Even for the powers that be, the people who decide on these matters, they must be thinking it is better to have him on the inside and insulting them rather than have him on the outside and insulting them, as Mahinda maama found out at great cost seven years ago. So, they may not prosecute him either!

That brings us to the most important question: how indeed these attacks happened – why was it allowed to? There are many conspiracy theories doing the rounds, and now, Shani, the policeman asked to look into these issues initially is making some startling revelations about how his inquiries were blocked.

We do remember that it was the Easter attacks which prompted Gota maama to come forward as a candidate for the top job, just a few days after the attack. He promised to make us safe from terrorism again, just as he had done against the Tigers. The country believed him, giving him a clear mandate.

Even the Cardinal believed him then and the words of His Eminence at the time contributed in no small way to Gota maama’s mandate. Interestingly, the Cardinal doesn’t believe that anymore and is now seeking divine intervention at a service in the Vatican – and international help – to get to the truth.

I think His Eminence is on the right track. Having seen how the wheels of justice turn in this Paradise, I am sure the ‘truth’ will be what is convenient at the time. As for the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we too, like the Cardinal, must seek divine intervention – or as they say, ‘deiyo thamai danney’!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: While we would all like to know the truth behind the Easter attacks, it is very unlikely that this will come to light before the next election. That election will not be about the Easter attacks like the previous one was, but about more mundane matters such as electricity, petrol, gas and milk powder!