Failure to take warnings seriously led to Easter Sunday attacks ; PCoI tells President

A Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) has informed the President that failure to consider intelligence warnings seriously had led to the Easter Sunday attacks.

These remarks were made when the members of the PCoI probing the April 21 terrorist attacks met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday (Dec 2).

During the meeting, PCoI Chairman Janaka de Silva claimed that suspicion had arisen as to whether fake documents were prepared to cover up the government's shortcomings.

President Rajapaksa in response said the last government’s failure to give importance to national security had led to the failure to curb the spread of extremism in the country.

He highlighted the importance of unearthing the facts behind the attacks and to submit recommendations to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Rajapaksa said the individuals whose actions had led to the failure of the security apparatus must also be revealed. Accordingly, the President stated he would extend his support for the functioning of the PCoI.

The PCoI, appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena during his term in office comprises Appeal Court judge Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna, former Appeal Court judges Nihal Rajapaksa, and Bandula Kumara Atapattu, and retired ministry secretary M.S. Adikari.