Former Deputy Minister of Law and Order Nalin Bandara has responded to the claims made by State Minister Kanchana Wijesekara pertaining to the 2019 Easter attacks.
State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday revealed that the former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Jayawardhana had informed the then Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara, about the ring leader of the 2019 Easter attacks Zaharan Hashim prior to the attacks.
Sharing excerpts of the intelligence report that had been submitted by the former SIS Chief, MP Wijesekara said Madduma Bandara, who is the current General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, had been informed to arrest Zaharan nearly 11 months prior to the terrorist attacks.
Responding to the claims in Parliament yesterday, MP Nalin Bandara who was the Deputy Minister of Law and Order under the Yahapalana Government said that right after the request a warrant was issued for the arrest of Zaharan, but the latter was found to have fled the country.
He said that the task of arresting Zaharan was then handed over to then Terrorism Investigation Division Director DIG Nalaka de Silva and that a red warrant was also issued for Zaharan’s arrest.
He further said that thereafter, the 52-day political crisis occurred with Mahinda Rajapaksa being appointed as the Prime Minister under then-President Mathripala Sirisena.
DIG de Silva was arrested as a result of a drama staged by a man named Namal Kumara. That is how Zaharan was allowed to act freely” MP added.
The MP explained that following this development, the Law and Order Ministry was the only Ministry that was not given to the Yahapalana Government which was reinstated after the crisis.
MP Nalin Bandara further stated that due to this particular development, during investigations into the Easter attacks, former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Jayawardhana has been named as a witness and not a suspect. (NewsWire)