Columns

Over five years have lapsed since the tragic Easter Sunday attacks of April 21, 2019 but the masterminds behind the attack have yet to be identified and brought to book.

To call it a conspiracy is to state the obvious. Without meticulous planning and clear objectives such a sophisticated and synchronised attack could not have been carried out. Nearly 300 persons were killed and almost 500 were injured in eight explosions triggered by suicide bombs in and around Colombo during the attack.  

What is most unfortunate is that the Sri Lankan State has not devoted all its energies to clear the air and bring to book those responsible for the horrific attack which not only targetted innocent church goers and tourists but also caused a blot on the country’s name.

This has however not prevented politicians from exploiting the attack for their own benefit. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) used it to the maximum at the presidential election of 2019 and parliamentary elections that followed, to instill fear in the minds of the voter and portray to the people that it was only Rajapaksa who could ensure national security, which according to them had been compromised by the Easter Sunday attacks. On election platforms he and his supporters promised to bring to book the perpetrators of the crime.

While Gotabaya Rajapaksa was addressing the Sinhala voters in this manner, simultaneously two Muslim big wigs of the SLPP campaign met with parents of those arrested and promised to have their children released if they supported the SLPP at the elections.

What followed the ascension of Gotabaya Rajapaksa to office spoke volumes of his commitment to bring to book those involved in the heinous crime. One of his first tasks was to dismantle the investigations by removing the Chief Investigator Shani Abeysekera from his role in probing the Easter Sunday attacks. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s feelings towards Shani Abeysekera manifested itself very clearly by the fact that the latter was not only transferred out but also humiliated by being appointed to a lower position as the Personal Assistant to the Galle DIG.

This was followed by removing a number of CID officers who were making good progress in the investigation thereby effectively scuttling it.

The Presidential Commission to inquire into the Easter Sunday attacks headed by Justice Janak Silva which unearthed many facts made several recommendations which were not implemented by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.

These and other factors have contributed to frustration among the Catholic community in their pursuit of justice and truth.

Now once again in the run up to the parliamentary elections of 2024, the Easter Sunday attacks have come to the fore. Former Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila has accused the new Government of not releasing two reports of committees appointed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The reports in question were authored by retired Supreme Court Justice S.I. Imam and retired Judge A.N.J. De Alwis. Justice Imam’s committee examined the allegations made by the English TV Channel 4 directed at the one-time head of Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) while Justice Alwis probed specific aspects of intelligence services pertaining to the Easter Sunday attacks.

Interestingly both these reports were handed over to President Ranil Wickremesinghe well before the recent presidential election but Udaya Gammanpila never called for its release. His sudden interest in the reports seems to stem from his desire to put the new Government in a spot rather than a genuine concern to arrive at the truth.

If Gammanpila does have the reports in his possession he should simply release it to the public without making it a political issue.

According to media reports, Gammanpila has stated that the Catholic Church had also echoed concerns over the missing reports and demanded full transparency.

However Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando has denied the claim. He said that the Church was not interested at all in the reports sought by Gammanpila. He has urged the former parliamentarian not to cause unnecessary trouble but to allow the Criminal Investigations Department to conduct inquiries.

Father Cyril Gamini has also questioned why Gammanpila, who was a minister in the Gotabaya Rajapasa Government, remained silent when the Church repeatedly asked the then President to implement the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry.

Rev. Fernando has also stated that after the former government had removed Shani Abeysekera, there hadn’t been any progress in the investigation. The Easter Sunday investigation had been undermined by relentless political interference charged Rev Fernando.

Let there be a CID-led impartial inquiry into the attacks. We are confident the CID can ascertain the truth,” Rev. Fernando said.

 (javidyusuf@gmail.com)