PSC reissues summons to Dayasiri after no-show

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks today (28) said that it would reissue summons to Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara to appear before it after he failed to turn up to give evidence.

By Sandun Jayawardana

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks today (28) said that it would reissue summons to Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara to appear before it after he failed to turn up to give evidence.

Making a statement after it was officially informed that Mr Jayasekara was not there to testify, PSC Chairperson, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the Committee will reissue summons to him to appear before it at a later date.

He stated that the SLFP General Secretary had been issued summons to testify over a statement he made to the media on June 18 this year that the suicide bomber who failed to detonate explosives at the Taj Samudra Hotel on Easter Sunday had not carried out the attack owing to the presence of some “highly connected people” at the hotel. 

Mr Jayasekara had told journalists that he would reveal more details later on and had claimed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was conducting an inquiry into the incident and had asked the media to check for themselves as to who had been at the hotel at the time.

“We wanted him to appear before the PSC to answer queries on this statement he made and what information he had on the matter. We will issue summons to him again to appear at a later date,” Mr Kumarasiri stated.

Mr Jayasekara was supposed to be the second witness called to give evidence before the PSC today. Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen was the first to give evidence to the PSC today.