Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris told the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today that retired Major General Suresh Salley, the former Director of the State Intelligence Service, had acted as a key driving force behind the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
He further stated that abductions and assaults targeting journalists had also been carried out by a group that operated under the command of Suresh Salley.
Former Director of the State Intelligence Service, retired Major General Suresh Salley, was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today under tight security provided by the Police Special Task Force, in connection with the ongoing case relating to the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
Suresh Salley is the third suspect in the case and was produced before court from detention custody.
Addressing court, Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris stated that the Easter Sunday attacks could not have been carried out within Sri Lanka without organised support, and told court that the third suspect, Suresh Salley, had functioned as the principal operational force behind the attack.
He further said that intelligence officers attached to the Giritale Army Camp, who operated under the suspect’s authority, had been arrested in connection with abductions and assaults, including the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda and attacks on Upali Tennakoon and Keith Noyahr. He told court that all such crimes were carried out by groups operating under the command of the third suspect.
The Additional Solicitor General also informed court that the Easter Sunday attack was the result of long‑term planning carried out over an extended period.
He stated that the prosecution intends to bring those responsible before justice before the eighth anniversary of the Easter attacks.
He referred to a sequence of political developments during the period leading up to the attack, including the end of President Maithripala Sirisena’s term, the 52‑day constitutional crisis, the Supreme Court ruling declaring that crisis unconstitutional, incidents such as the vandalism of Buddha statues in Mawanella, and developments involving Gotabaya Rajapaksa, including his public statements in March 2018. He said these events occurred in parallel with the planning of the Easter attacks.
Dileepa Peiris further told court that obstructions to the investigation have emerged, and that witnesses are facing intimidation.
He alleged that following the previous court hearing, an intelligence officer had visited a witness’s home, after which five hand grenades and a pistol were found at the residence.
He also alleged that six dogs at the house were poisoned, and stated that the weapons had been planted through the Special Task Force.
He told court that although the Sri Lanka Army is a state institution, the Army intelligence units were not assisting the investigation, and that witnesses were being repeatedly pressured.
The Additional Solicitor General further revealed that while held in remand in connection with the Joseph Pararajasingham murder, former State Minister Pillayan had met Shaini, the brother of Zahran, inside prison. He stated that this meeting had taken place with the knowledge of Suresh Salley, citing revelations made by Azad Moulana to Channel 4.
The Magistrate inquired whether a statement had been recorded from Azad Moulana. In response, Dileepa Peiris stated that steps were being taken to obtain a statement from Moulana, who is currently in France, through the French Embassy, using Zoom.
Delivering his observations, the Colombo Fort Magistrate stressed that the investigation was not a game, but a highly sensitive matter, and that the priority was to prove matters beyond reasonable doubt.
The Magistrate said the court was satisfied with the progress of investigations conducted so far and ordered the case to be taken up again on May 6 at 2.00 p.m. He further directed that the suspect currently in detention be produced before court on that date.