Sri Lanka: Sajith wants ex-CID Chief Shani to probe Easter Sunday attacks

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has requested the President appoint former CID Chief Shani Abeysekera to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

"The president also placed his faith in this officer. So, I request that he hand over the inquiry to that officer," he said in Parliament on Friday (8).

The opposition leader also went on to note that during both the 2019 presidential election and the 2020 general election, the SLPP sought a mandate from the people to determine the truth regarding the Easter Sunday attacks that took place during the reign of the government of good governance. 

"The mandate was given, and it's been years. Did the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government, which won the trust to secure the mandate, take any action?," he questioned the house.

He also noted that the opposition is calling for an international investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, as the locally conducted investigations lack faith. 

Shani Abeysekera, was the Former Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, and he was arrested and remand for almost 10 months on the charge of fabricating false evidence against Ex-DIG Vaas Gunawardena and several other suspects.

The Court of appeal in 2021 ruled that there are strong indications that the allegations against Shani Abeysekera are a result of falsification.

The Court of Appeal in their judgement stressed that the unusual and extraordinary delay in lodging the first complaint against Shani Abeysekera despite every ability to do so demonstrates that the allegations against Shani Abeysekera are a result of falsification.

The COA highlighted that the unusual delay has introduced an exaggerated account or a concocted story to unduly cause prejudice and harm to Shani Abeysekera.