MOD issues statement on Channel4 documentary

by Staff Writer 09-09-2023 | 5:34 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Issuing a statement the Ministry of Defence has vehemently denounced the accusations made by Channel4 on orchestrating the Easter Attacks.

In the statement, the Ministry of Defence emphatically asserts that Channel 4 will be held unequivocally accountable for any unforeseen actions or repercussions stemming from their unfounded, malevolent, and poorly substantiated
claims made in the video documentary.

The Ministry of Defence says that the Easter Sunday Attack of 2019 which claimed the lives of nearly 270 innocent souls, including children and foreigners watched by Sri Lanka and the International Community in horror.

The statement from the Ministry also contained that in the wake of this catastrophe, the Sri Lankan Government, its Law Enforcement Agencies, Security Forces and international investigation agencies launched exhaustive investigations and over the years, these investigations, both local and international, have consistently pointed to ISIS-affiliated group members led by Zahran Hashim as the architects of this horrifying tragedy.

The Ministry of Defence points out that the recent documentary produced by British Channel 4 television cooperation audaciously shifts the blame of the Easter Sunday Attack onto Military Intelligence and Major General Suresh Sallay, the present Director General of the State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka.

It also contains that the Ministry of Defence is vehemently denouncing the accusation of orchestrating the
attack and assisting the bombers against a dedicated senior military officer who has served the nation for 36 years.

" Major General Suresh Sallay served at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Malaysia as Minister-Counsellor from December 2016 until December 2018."

"He left for India on 3rd January 2019 and returned to Sri Lanka on 30th November 2019 after completing the National Defence College Course in Delhi."

"This officer was never in Sri Lanka during the period mentioned in the Channel 4 video documentary.
Furthermore, during the said period (December 2016 to November 2019), this officer was not employed in the Intelligence and Security Apparatus of the country, nor did he hold any official responsibilities in those fields."

"The Ministry of Defence also reiterates that no terrorists involved in the Easter Sunday attack have ever been on the
government payroll."

The Ministry of Defence says that it categorically refutes these outrageous allegations and expresses profound dismay at Channel 4 for promulgating such a malicious and unsubstantiated narrative.

It was also said in the statement that in the wake of the Easter Sunday Attack, successive Sri Lankan governments have
demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth. They have done so by facilitating transparent investigations conducted by both local and international professional agencies.

"These investigations including the meticulous work of the Criminal Investigation Department, Counter Terrorist Investigation Division and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), have consistently corroborated the responsibility of the radical extremist group for the attack.

Additionally, the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has played a pivotal role in proposing measures to bolster national security.

Moreover, it is imperative to underline that the comprehensive investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, along with the subsequent verdict rendered by the US Department of Justice, have reaffirmed the findings of local investigations.

This resounding endorsement from an international investigative agency further substantiates the accuracy and integrity of the investigation."

The MOD says that despite unwavering and magnanimous endeavours, Channel 4's myopic and malevolent conduct not only imperils the very fabric of Sri Lankan society by sowing seeds of discord but also shamelessly jeopardizes the reputation and safety of those who have resolutely upheld their integrity and responsibility.

It is said in the statement that the Ministry of Defence respects the freedom of expression and upholds the significance of investigative journalism.

The Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka has categorically refuted these allegations and reiterates the government's unwavering commitment to the truth, justice and the well-being of the Nation.