Columns

The unresolved enigma surrounding the Easter Sunday attacks of April 2019 continues to cast its long shadow over the nation’s political landscape, even after four and a half years have passed since the horrifying incident claimed the lives of 267 individuals and left many more wounded, some with severe injuries.

The impassioned call for truth and justice, led by Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and the Catholic Church, has sadly fallen on deaf ears. Regrettably, the law enforcement authorities have made little headway in unmasking the mastermind behind this act of terrorism.

Recently, a controversial documentary by Channel 4 rekindled discussions about the Easter Sunday attacks, leading to a two-day adjournment debate in Parliament. During this debate, the familiar partisan lines were drawn, with government representatives attempting to showcase the adequacy of the investigations, while opposition members voiced their skepticism.

Many of the government speakers resorted to the familiar argument that this was an attempt to tarnish the image of the war heroes who had served the country well.

However, amidst the political posturing, several new pieces of information came to light, reinforcing the urgent need for a credible and transparent investigation. Many significant revelations made by various speakers were met with counterarguments, further underscoring the necessity for thorough inquiries into these matters.

Over the past four and a half years, a profound mistrust has developed among the public toward the law enforcement authorities, their sense of justice, and their commitment to fairness. This prevailing skepticism has only intensified the demand for an independent and credible investigation, one that can assuage these doubts.

One matter deserving further scrutiny is the ‘Sonic Sonic’ episode, vigorously pursued by Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara while in Opposition.

The Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa alluded to this matter during the debate last week and said that an individual from the State Intelligence Service known as Sonic Sonic had spoken to the individual called Podi Zahran and asked the latter to persuade ISIS to claim responsibility for the terror attacks.

According to the Opposition Leader this occurrence pointed to the fact that Army intelligence had direct links with the Zahran Group who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks. Another instance cited by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader in support of his contention that the Army intelligence had links to the suicide bombers was that of the CID being misled by the latter that the LTTE was responsible for the assassination of the two policemen in Vaunathivu when in fact it was the Zahran group that was responsible.  According to Premadasa, all the evidence pointed to direct links between Army intelligence and the Zahran Group, the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks.

Acting Defense Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, however, presented a different perspective. He claimed that ‘Sonic Sonic’ was the pseudonym of an intelligence officer who had infiltrated the Zahran group to gather information, a standard practice for intelligence officers. Yet, this explanation raises two crucial questions: why did the officer not relay information about the impending attack to superiors, and why did he later attempt to attribute the attacks to ISIS? These questions further underscore the need for a comprehensive investigation to uncover the truth.

Another perplexing aspect of the investigation centers on the mystery of Sarah Jasmine, the wife of one of the suicide bombers. Government speakers in Parliament stated that  DNA tests had to be conducted several times in order to determine whether she had died during the explosion at the Sainthamaruthu safe house because of the “professional negligence” of those who conducted such tests.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauf Hakeem added another layer of intrigue stating  that Sarah Jasmine’s National Identity Card, presented to the Kalmunai Magistrate’s Court to prove her presence at the Sainthamaruthu safe house explosion, appeared to be brand new. This is yet another avenue that warrants investigation.

Government representatives have argued that it is inconceivable for a group of Muslim youths to sacrifice their lives to bring a Sinhala Buddhist leader like Gotabaya Rajapakse to power. However they ignore the fact that those raising questions about the attack merely contend that the suicide bombers were manipulated by unidentified handlers to influence the outcome of the 2019 Presidential Elections, not that the bombers themselves supported Rajapaksa’s candidacy.

The case for an independent investigation to plug the gaps in the narrative so far were convincingly made by Parliamentarians Kabir Hashim and Eran Wickremaratne who listed a series of questions that demanded answers.

The relentless pursuit of justice demands an independent and credible investigation to uncover the truth as well as to identify and rectify the shortcomings in law enforcement that allowed this tragedy to occur. Such an undertaking is essential to dispel the cloud of mistrust and suspicion that shrouds many state institutions in the country.

(javidyusuf@gmail.com)