Former President testifies in case on abortive LTTE suicide attack

 Former President Maithripala Sirisena today testified in the case filed against two former LTTE cadres for aiding and abetting the failed suicidal bomb attack targeting him.

Mr Sirisena was the Minister of Agriculture when a female suicide bomber attacked in October 2008 in Boralesgamuwa.

The Minister, returning from an agricultural event, had switched the vehicle on return, thereby escaping the attack.

As the case opened, the Colombo High Court judge R.S.S. Sapuvida noted that though the suicidal attack targeting the convoy of Mr Sirisena took place in 2008 the charges had been filed only 15 years later in 2023.

He also noted that the indictments on the two accused had been handed over last year.

The female suicide bomber was identified as Shanmugaraja Gajabalani.

The two accused in the case, Sellaraja Kirubakaran and Thambiah Prakash, face 17 charges, including helping the suicide bomber to plan out the attack.

Mr Sirisena told the courts that the Terrorism Investigation Division, which carried out the investigations,had not recorded his statement so far.

He explained on how he was kept for safety inside the Boralesgamuwa police station for more than two hours following the attack.

The Court ordered that Mr Sirisena, named the first witness in the case, be released.

Further hearing was postponed until April 29, 2025.

By Manopriya Gunasekara

The Mitsubishi Montero in which the Tiger guerrillas thought Minister Maithripala Sirisena would travel to Colombo. Pic by J. Weerasekera

NOTE: The Sunday Times Situation Report Column of October 12, 2008 carried an exclusive report on how Mr Sirisena escaped the attack.

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/081012/Columns/sitreport.html