Leading Catholic priest, Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando has been summoned before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for the 3rd day to be questioned over a statement he had made pertaining to the 2019 Easter attacks.
Father Cyril Gamini Fernando arrived at the CID this morning and was accompanied into the building by his lawyer.
Several Catholic priests are currently staging a silent protest in front of the CID, showing displeasure over the Department’s move to question a person who had sought justice for the victims of the Easter attacks.
The CID had launched investigations after the Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Major General Suresh Sallay had filed a complaint about allegations made by Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando.
Suresh Sallay said that at an online forum on the 23rd of October 2021 on the Easter Attacks, Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando had stated that Sri Lanka’s Intelligence Units had provided financial and other forms of assistance to Zaharan Hashim, the Leader of the now-proscribed National Thowheed Jamath, who also led the attacks on the 21st of April 2019.
He informed the CID that Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando had described him (Suresh Sallay), who was a Brigadier at the time, to have been actively involved in nurturing Zaharan Hashim and his followers, and called on the Department to initiate legal action against Father Cyril Gamini over the false statement he had made. (NewsWire)