President tells attorney general to act responsibly

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has told Parinda Ranasinghe to fulfil his responsibilities as the attorney general with responsibility, according to media reports.

Ranasinghe was summoned to the Presidential Secretariat around 1.45 pm yesterday (07) to get an explanation about his decision not to pursue legal proceedings against three suspects in the murder of prominent journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga.

Justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara too, was present and the three had talks for nearly two hours.

Certain media quoted the president as telling the AG that it was meaningless to hold the position if he cannot act responsibly.

The AG has written to the CID that three suspects accused of concealing evidence and intimidating witnesses in the Wickramatunga murder case could be acquitted.

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Prime Minister Vows Justice for Lasantha’s Murder : Will Refile Inquiries if Necessary

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to seeking justice for the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickremetunge.

Speaking in Parliament, Dr. Amarasuriya addressed concerns raised by Ahimsa Wickremetunge, the daughter of the slain journalist, assuring her that the government will do everything in its power to ensure justice is served.

Dr. Amarasuriya stated that she has received a letter from Ahimsa Wickremetunge and plans to respond personally. She emphasized that the government’s position on this case has always been clear and remains unchanged: justice must be delivered.

“I well understand Ahimsa’s concerns, and the agony she must be feeling right now. But, I want to assure her, and I will assure her, that we will do everything in our power to make sure that justice is delivered on this matter,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s efforts to follow due process and maintain the independence of the Attorney General’s office.

“We are doing our very best to follow due process, and to give the Attorney General’s office that independence .. but justice has to be served,” said the Prime Minister.

She assured that extensive discussions have taken place, including meetings with the President and those involved in the case, to explore all possible avenues for justice.

“If necessary, we will refile inquiries, initiate new investigations, and take every step possible to gather new evidence,” Dr. Amarasuriya said. “This case has plenty of evidence, and many have worked hard on it. We will do everything we can to ensure justice is served and Ahimsa’s concerns are addressed.”

Ahimsa Demands Justice for Father’s Assassination

Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge has called for the impeachment of Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, citing gross abuse of power and neglect of duty in the criminal proceedings related to the assassination of her father.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Ahimsa Wickrematunge expressed grave concern over the Attorney General’s recent decision to discharge three suspects in the case.

Wickrematunge highlighted the meticulous investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from 2015 to 2019, which amassed substantial evidence.

She accused Ranasinghe of fostering a culture of nonchalance and disregard for duty within the Attorney General’s Department, leading to the dismissal of critical evidence and witnesses.

Lasantha Wickrematunge was ambushed and assassinated on January 8, 2009, in a high-security zone near the Ratmalana Air Force Base. Despite the attack occurring in broad daylight, the assailants were never identified, and the case remained unresolved until the CID took over the investigation in 2015.

The CID’s investigation revealed significant evidence, including the discovery of Wickrematunge’s field notebook, which contained crucial leads. However, the initial inquiry officer, Inspector Tissa Sugathapala, was allegedly ordered by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Prasanna Nanayakkara to destroy the evidence.

Ahimsa Wickrematunge argued that if Ranasinghe was unaware of the facts, he was guilty of gross neglect of duty, and if he was aware, he was guilty of gross abuse of his office.

Ahimsa Wickrematunge says that Attorney General, Parinda Ranasinghe is no longer fit to serve as Attorney General.

She urged the government to impeach Ranasinghe to restore integrity to the justice system, emphasizing that the Attorney General is responsible to Parliament and must be held accountable for his actions.

MPs Claim Over Rs. 1 Billion for Aragalaya Property Damage, Keheliya and Johnston Get the Most

Chief Government Whip and Minister of Health and Mass Media, Nalinda Jayatissa, revealed in Parliament today (6 February) that 43 MPs received compensation from the government for property damage they claimed to have suffered during the 2022 anti-government protests.

Jayatissa presented the names of these MPs along with the amounts they received:

Kapila Nuwan Athukorala – Rs. 504,000
Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Rs. 550,000
Geetha Kumarasinghe – Rs. 972,000
Janaka Tissa Kuttiarachchi – Rs. 1.143 million
Gunapala Ratnasekara – Rs. 1.413 million
Premnath C. Dolawatta – Rs. 2.3 million
Priyankara Jayaratne – Rs. 2.348 million
Sampath Athukorala – Rs. 2.541 million
Jayantha Ketagoda – Rs. 2.815 million
Wimal Weerawansa – Rs. 2.954 million
Channa Jayasumana – Rs. 3.334 million
Akila Ellawala – Rs. 3.554 million
Chamal Rajapaksa – Rs. 6.539 million
Chandima Weerakkody – Rs. 6.949 million
Ashoka Priyantha – Rs. 7.295 million
Samanpriya Herath – Rs. 10.52 million
Janaka Bandara Tennakoon – Rs. 10.55 million
Rohitha Abeygunawardena – Rs. 11.64 million
Seetha Arambepola – Rs. 13.78 million
Sahan Pradeep – Rs. 17.13 million
Shehan Semasinghe – Rs. 18.51 million
Indika Anuruddha – Rs. 19.55 million
Milan Jayathilaka – Rs. 22.3 million
Dr. Ramesh Pathirana – Rs. 28.1 million
Duminda Dissanayake – Rs. 28.8 million
Kanaka Herath – Rs. 29.2 million
D.B. Herath – Rs. 32.1 million
Prasanna Ranaweera – Rs. 32.7 million
W.D. Weerasinghe – Rs. 37.2 million
Shantha Bandara – Rs. 39.1 million
S.M. Chandrasena – Rs. 43.8 million
Sanath Nishantha – Rs. 42.7 million
Siripala Gamlath – Rs. 50.9 million
Arundika Fernando – Rs. 55.2 million
Sumith Udukumbura – Rs. 55.9 million
Prasanna Ranatunga – Rs. 56.1 million
Kokila Gunawardena – Rs. 58.7 million
Mohan P. de Silva – Rs. 60.1 million
Nimal Lanza – Rs. 69.2 million
Ali Sabri Raheem – Rs. 70.9 million
Gamini Lokuge – Rs. 74.9 million
Johnston Fernando – Rs. 93.4 million
Keheliya Rambukwella – Rs. 95.9 million
The total compensation received by these 43 MPs amounts to Rs. 1.224 billion (1,224.1 million rupees or 122.41 crore rupees).

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US withdrawal from UNHRC beneficial to Sri Lanka – Expert

The decision by the United States to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will be advantageous for Sri Lanka, according to legal expert Dr. Prathibha Mahanamahewa.

He emphasized that this shift presents an opportunity for Sri Lanka to challenge the previous resolution brought against the island nation at the 58th session of the UNHRC, set to commence on February 24.

Dr. Mahanamahewa highlighted that the US has consistently played a leading role in accusing Sri Lanka of war crimes and advocating for mechanisms such as hybrid courts, often backed by Western nations. However, he noted that the US withdrawal from the council could alter the geopolitical landscape in Sri Lanka’s favor.

“With this development, we have a significant opportunity to present our own human rights plan. A locally developed framework would allow us to take charge of our narrative and future policies. If we secure the support of key nations like India, South Africa, and Japan, we can effectively counter the earlier resolution against Sri Lanka,” he stated.

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59 Sri Lankans killed in Russia-Ukraine warfront – Foreign Minister

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism confirmed that 59 Sri Lankans who were serving in the Russian Army have been killed in the Ukraine warfront.

The Minister revealed this, quoting reports from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Russia, in response to a question raised by MP Sivagnanam Shritharan during today’s (07) Parliamentary session.

Furthermore, the Foreign Affairs Minister stated that, according to reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, 554 Sri Lankans were recruited by the Russian military service for their war in Ukraine, with no evidence suggesting they were recruited forcefully.

The Minister confirmed that, as of January 20, 2025, a total of 59 of these individuals have been killed on the battlefield. Herath added that he possesses information regarding these citizens, which will be added to the records in the parliamentary Hansard.

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MAULANA ALLEGES PILLAYAN TO BE INVOLVED IN EASTER CARNAGE – Defence source

As the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks continue, high ranking defence officials probing the case have revealed to the Daily Mirror that travel bans on some former high ranking State Intelligence Service members has been imposed to prevent them from leaving the country.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, these officials who wished to remain unnamed said that they were in touch with whistleblower Azath Maulana – the former Coordinating Secretary to Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan and according to the statement made by him at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva and to the UK based Channel 4, Pillayan was allegedly instrumental in laying the ‘foundation’ to the barbaric suicide attack.

Maulana’s revelations corroborate details given by former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) in charge of CID Ravi Seneviratne in an interview with this newspaper with regard to the Easter Bombings.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror on June 13, 2024, under the headline ‘Could Have Easily Avoided the Easter Attack If the SIS and DMI Did Not Mislead the CID’ Seneviratne who is now the Secretary, Ministry of Public Security said that he and his most senior officers could have avoided the attack if the State Intelligence Services (SIS) and Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) provided accurate information to the CID without misleading them. According to Seneviratne, the CID officers were misled by the SIS and the DMI following the murder of two Police Constables (PC) at Vavunathivu in Batticaloa on November 30, 2018; this eventually became the turning point of Zaharan’s mission that led to the Easter attack five months later.

According to Seneviratne, the intelligence services repeatedly framed former LTTE carders for these murders preventing the CID probe turning towards the Muslim extremist organization operating under the name National Thowheed Jamat (NTJ).

According to Seveniratne, the DMI had sent four false reports to the CID on December 5, 8, 14 of 2018 and January 3, 2019. All these reports stated that the murders were committed by the Ex-LTTE cadres for preventing them from honouring the dead on November 26, 2018.

Be that as it may, based on a complaint made on October 4, 2024, to the Secretary Ministry of Public Security SDIG (Rtd) Ravi Seneviratne by Executive Director, Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) Fr. Rohan Silva, the CID has recorded his statement on October 8 which led the CID to recommence the once stalled investigation.

The defence official said that following this, the CID on multiple occasions had questioned Pillayan and, are now in the process of questioning those who have been involved in the conspiracy.

The Defence official alleged that Pillayan- whilst serving a jail term in Batticaloa prison over the murder of former MP Joseph Pararajasingham- is accused of having aided and abetted the conspirators to get connected to Zaharan and his suicide team and to get their support for the Eater attack.

The UK based Channel 4 aired the controversial documentary in September 2023, where Azath Maulana alleged how Pillayan arranged a meeting for a high profile figure- who served as the Defence Attaché at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia- with Zaharan and his suicide team. According to Maulana’s allegations, this meeting was held at a coconut estate named Lactowatte at Wanathawilluwa in Puttalam district in January 2018.

This newspaper is in possession of a copy of Maulana’s statement given in Geneva on December 30, 2022 and also the video clips of Channel 4 revelation. This story is compiled based on these revelations made by the whistleblower.

“I don’t want to give comments to the media”- Suresh Sallay

When this newspaper contacted former Director State Intelligence Service Suresh Sallay to obtain a comment in connection with the allegations Maulana has revealed in Channel 4, he declined to make a comment.

“I was a professional intelligence officer and worked for 38 years out of which I served five years as Director Military Intelligence Service and another five years as the Director SIS. Throughout my carrier I have never given comments or interviews to the media. Although I am not in service now, I still do not want to give comments to the media,” Sallay said.

Meanwhile this newspaper contacted Secretary Ministry of Public Security (Rtd) SDIG Ravi Seneviratne to know whether exposing these details would hamper the ongoing CID investigations to which the Ministry Secretary said that these details have been released in social media and even the Channel 4 revelation was aired in some TV or Radio channels.

“By exposing these details will certainly not hamper the CID investigations. Your paper can report what was transpired at the Geneva Human Rights Council (HRC) and in Channel 4,” Seneviratne said.

Granting bail

The Defence official further alleging how Pillayan was granted bail on November 24, 2020, by the High Court of Batticaloa said that Maulana had alleged that it was Basil Rajapaksa who got a Presidents Counsel (PC) and three members from the judiciary to support Pillayan to receive bail to ‘compensate’ for the support extended by him to them to bring yet another Rajapaksa sibling as the President of the country.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror on strict conditions of anonymity, sources from the Catholic Church of Colombo said that they are happy how the NPP government, as promised, is conducting investigations, with regard to the Easter bombings, in the right direction.

Meanwhile on November 2, 2007, Karuna Amman was arrested in London for entering the United Kingdom on a forged diplomatic passport, issued by the Sri Lanka’s SIS. Later the SIS wanted to get rid of Karuna Amman and promote Pillayan as the party leader of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). The Defence official based on the probe said that the then Chief of the Military Intelligence Service Suresh Sallay had told Pillayan that Karuna Amman was plotting to kill him and had wanted him to kill all Karuna Amman’s bodyguards. By doing so, the TMVP came under Pillayan’s control and he became its leader.

“Please read the Presidential Commission report”- Gotabaya Rajapaksa

In response to a text message forwarded to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by this newspaper regarding the allegation Maulana has leveled against him for conspiring the Easter attack to come into power, the former President claimed that he doesn’t know anything regarding these allegations.

Rajapaksa’s text message states, ‘Please read the Presidential Commission report including the evidences given by the CID officers. I don’t know anything apart from what is in that report’.

The TMVP was registered as a political party on January 23, 2008. Its first meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Following this, Pillayan won the Eastern Provincial Council Elections held in May 2008. Eventually he was made Chief Minister by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Azath Maulana became his Coordinating Secretary.

According to Maulana’s revelation, from 2007 during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure, the Military Intelligence Service had paid TMVP Rs. 3.5 million per month. It was Maulana- on the directives of Pillayan- who had collected this money from the Military Intelligence Service.

Even after Maithripala Sirisena became Executive President in 2015, regular Army intelligence payments to the TMVP mercenary has been continued, the Defence official said. But according to this official, Sallay had once told Pillayan and Maulana that the monthly payments made to TMVP will not be possible in future under the new government as there is no possibility to give them a lump sum because whatever the money that is paid from the SIS, has to be paid only to those who are in their payroll. Hence the official alleged that Sallay had advised Maulana to give 15 fake names which can be included to the Intelligence Service payroll. As instructed Maulana had provided the fake names and as promised Sallay had made arrangements for Moulana to collect the money from the Military Intelligence Service, the official alleged.

Meanwhile the official further alleged that in 2009, Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had wanted Pillayan to handover part of their weapons to the government as the international community had pressurised the government to disarm the TMVP. It is alleged that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked Pillayan not to handover their entire stock of arms, but to retain some secretively, so that the government could show the international community that the TMVP was disarmed. On March 3, 2009, these arms had been handed over to Brig. Fernando and DIG Edison Gunathilake at the Vebber Grounds, Batticaloa by Maulana.

With the change of government, in March 2015, the CID had questioned Pillayan for over six hours with regard to the murder of MP Joseph Pararajasingham.

In September 2015, CID arrested Pillayan under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for his involvement in MP Pararajasingham’s murder. Five months later, he was transferred to the Batticaloa jail. In the meantime, Suresh Sallay was transferred to the Malaysian High Commission as the Defence Attaché.

The official said that according to Maulana, when Pilliyan was serving the jail sentence in Batticaloa, he had visited Pillayan regularly.

On one of these occasions, specifically in August 2017, when Maulana visited Pillayan, the official alleged that Maulana had spoken about some Muslim prisoners who had been brought to the same prison over a murder case at Alliyar Junction in Kaththankudy. Pillayan had allegedly told that that they were brought there for a special reason- to give them suicide attack training and wanted Maulana to keep it a secret.

According to the official, Pillayan had wanted Maulana to meet these prisoners. And on Pillayan’s request, a jailor had brought one of them to Maulana with the permission of Jail Superintendent Akbar. This prisoner had introduced himself as Saine Maulavi who is the brother of Zaharan.

The Defence official further said that according to Maulana, it was prearranged to bring the Kattankudy prisoners to the Batticaloa prison in order to train them as a suicide squad for the Easter attack without the knowledge of outsiders. Maulana alleged that this arrangement was planned by the hierarchies in the SIS.

Suicide tactics

Maulana in his confession had further said, “Pillayan told me that these Muslim guys are very tough and that he had taught them about LTTE suicide tactics. He further asked me to help them to come out of the prison as they may help us later.”

“Pillayan said that they are in trouble and wanted me to ask Rs. 50, 000 from Sallay and give it to Saine Maulavi’s brother Zaharan. When requested, Sallay sent the money through a third party. Zaharan came to my office at Lake Road, Batticaloa to collect this money.”

“Meanwhile, Sallay wanted me to inform if we need more money and deposited Rs. 200,000 to be given to Saine’s wife to pay for the lawyers’ legal fee to get bail for the Muslim prisoners. Later they were granted bail on October 24, 2017”.

By end January 2018, the official alleged that Pillayan had requested Maulana to arrange a meeting with Saine Maulavi and his team with Suresh Sallay as he was keen on meeting these Muslim prisoners from Kaththankudy. Pillayan had wanted Maulana to take part in the meeting too.

The official alleged that Sallay had requested Maulana not to come for the meeting in his car as a military personnel would come to pick him up in a military vehicle on a given date. Accordingly, an Army vehicle had arrived to pick up Maulana up from his house at Dehiwala and Saine Moulavi had promised to come with his team separately.

Episode in coconut estate

Maulana in his confession further states, “I was taken to a large coconut plantation- Lactowatte at Wanathawilluwa in Puttalam- where there was a small lonely house. When I reached the location there was a white colour Toyota car with tinted shutters parked there. No sooner I got off from the military vehicle, Sallay who was in the car too got out of his vehicle and came and shook hands with me. I then called Saine Maulavi to see where he was. I was told that they were on their way and could reach the destination within half an hour. Amongst those who accompanied Saine Maulavi was his two brothers Rilvan and Zaharan. Saine Maulavi introduced his brother Zaharan to me. I shook hands with him. That was the first and the last time I met Zaharan. Then Sallay walked up to us and I introduced Zaharan to him.

“Maulana is fabricating stories. It’s good that the government is planning to get Maulana back”-Pillayan

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror contacted Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan who is accused of conspiring the Easter attack. He said that Maulana, who is seeking permanent residency in a foreign country in the guise of receiving life threats, is levelling baseless allegations.

“This attack took place six years ago. Why couldn’t he expose this at that time without taking four years to go to Channel 4 and HRC in Geneva? The present Secretary Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne- who was the former Head of the CID at the time of the bomb blast, the President and the CID are stupid. Can’t they understand the difference between those who have given up arms and the work of ISIS and Muslim extremism? As I didn’t like the arm struggle I entered the political mainstream and became a Chief Minister. How can a person who was in jail from 2015 to 2020 plan such a devastating attack? It is good that the government is planning to get Maulana back to the country. I will corporate with the CID and let the law enforcement authority arrest Maulana for fabricating stories,” Pillayan said.

“They then entered the small house, but I was not asked to come in. I remained outside until their three hour meeting concluded. Later Sallay called me personally and said that the only way to get Pillayan released is to get Gotabaya Rajapaksa elected as the President.

“The next day, I told Pillayan about this plan. Pillayan said that Sallay has a big plan to bring back Gotabaya into power. Sallay and Zaharan’s group met each other on February 1, 2018. It is Pillayan, Sallay and the Intelligence Services that should take the blame for the Easter attack”.

It is alleged that on February 11, 2019, through Suresh Sallay, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had sent a message for Maulana to come to his house at Balapokuna Road, Kohuwala for a meeting.

Kapila Hendawitharana and General Amal Karunasekara, who was the Directorate of the Military Intelligence at that time, too attended this meeting. From TMVP, one of its party members had attended the meeting with a lawyer. At this meeting Gotabaya Rajapaksa had told Maulana and the others who were present that if he was elected as the next President of the country he could release Pillayan from jail and for that endeavour, for them to work hard for him to get elected.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked them to do what General Zam (pseudo name for Suresh Sallay) says, so that their boss (Pillayan) could be freed easily.

According to Maulana, two months after this meeting and 14 months after the Sallay- Zaharan meeting at Wanathawilluwa, the Easter attack had taken place. Maulana claims that Gotabaya Rajapaksa too was directly involved in this attack.

Maulana was in Batticaloa at the time of the Easter attack. While the televisions were showing the visuals of the suicide bombers, Maulana had recognised them as those who had met Sallay at Lactowatte in January 2018. He had immediately paid a visit to Pillayan in jail to inform the latter about this incident.

Maulana further states, “Although nobody knew who were involved in this, I quickly understood the conspiracy that had taken place over the past few months. I went to meet Pillayan around 11a.m. to break the news about the spate of blasts. By the time I went, Pillayan had received the news from jailors at the prison. Pillayan said that it was Sallay’s partners that had detonated the bombs and said that it is good for us because at the next elections Rajapaksa’s will come into power. He wanted me not to talk about this and asked me not to get worried about this incident as well.

“The following day news broke out that it was Zaharan and his group that had set off the bombs. On April 23, Zaharan’s bothers Saine and Rilwan together with their father Hashim, set off a bomb and committed suicide when the Army surrounded their house in Kalmunai. Zaharan’s wife and a child escaped”.

“A few days after the Easter attack, Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka from USA and said that he is willing to contest the upcoming Presidential Elections and his main slogan was to restore national security in the country. Meanwhile, the TMVP, on the instructions of Pillayan had decided to support Gotabaya Rajapaksa candidacy,” the Defence official said.

The official further alleged that during the election campaign, Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Batticaloa jail to meet Pillayan and had told him that as for the latter there was light at the end of the tunnel.

According to Maulana, when Basil Rajapaksa visited Batticaloa on November 1, 2019, he had gone to see Pillayan in jail and had given an assurance that he would be freed after the Presidential Elections.

Soon after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory, Sallay was appointed Director State Intelligence Service. Until then, any Army personnel hadn’t been appointed to this post, according to Maulana.

The defence official alleged that since Rajapaksa’s failed to fulfill their promise given to Pillayan and on realising that there were no signs of getting him freed for several months after the victory at the elections, Pillayan wanted Maulana to meet him urgently. When Maulana met Pillayan, he had given a letter and wanted it to be handed over to General Zam

When this letter was given to Sallay on November 16, 2020, he had wanted Maulana to read it for him as it was written in Tamil, the official alleged.

In it Pillayan has stated, “Gen. Zam, this is to remind your President how he and his government came into power. I cannot stay in the jail anymore. If no further action is taken to get me out, everyone will have to face the consequences. I helped you all to win the election. Then Gotabaya Rajapaksa became the President and you became the Director SIS, but I am still in jail. Now you all, get ready to go to jail”.

When the letter was read out, Suresh Sally had grabbed it from Maulana, torn it into small pieces and burnt it, the official alleged.

Soon afterwards, Sallay had called the then Defence Secretary and since there wasn’t any response, he has contacted President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara. As he too did not respond, he had given the contact details of Basil Rajapaksa to Maulana.

When help was sought from Basil Rajapaksa, he had given Maulana a contact number of a lawyer. He was Anil Silva PC. When Maulana met Anil Silva, he had taken over the case and said that he would appear on behalf of Pillayan considering Basil’s request, the Defence official alleged. When PC Silva appeared for Pillayan, though there was no chance for him to get bail for his client, Suresh Sallay had advised Maulana to ask the lawyers not to settle the case quickly and to push for a postponement. As per the request, Anil Silva PC had adopted that ploy.

Pillayan had known that this was a difficult case for him to win. Meanwhile, to ensure his security he was given a separate large cell at the Batticaloa prison. He had even used a mobile phone within the jail.

Afterwards, Maulana had requested Basil Rajapaksa to get Pillayan released at the earliest. Basil had told Maulana that Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera was adamant that Pillayan should not be released, the official alleged. Hence, Basil Rajapaksa had asked Maulana to request PC Silva to make an appeal as he had met one of the Judges who had promised to help Pillayan to get out of jail.

Maulana further says, “He gave a contact number of this Judge. When this judge was contacted, he wanted me to meet him at a coffee shop in Colombo. At this meeting, I handed over to him the entire case file. He wanted me to come and see him in three days at his office at Hulftsdorp Road. He said that the case is very difficult as all the primary evidence are very strong, but wanted me to ask PC Silva to appeal the case in Batticaloa against the verdict, so that the case will come to him. He said that if the case is referred to him, he will put the case to Court No: 201 where there are two Judges and that he will ask them to reject the source of evidence.

“When the case was taken up in October, the judgement was delivered in Pillayan’s favour and he was granted bail on November 24, 2020 by the Batticaloa High Court”.

Meanwhile, the Defence official alleged that Basil Rajapaksa appointed Sanjaya Rajaratnam PC as the Deputy Attorney General to get all cases against Pillayan dropped. On January 13, 2021, the Attorney General’s Department dropped all cases against Pillayan.

Following that, the opposition members revealed in parliament that Zaharan had worked hand in glove with the SIS. On April 15, 2021, Sallay had wanted Maulana to visit his office. At the entrance to Sallay’s office, his security guards had seized his mobile before allowing him to enter.

At this meeting, the official alleged that Sallay had pulled out his laptop and showed Maulana, MP Harin Fernando’s speech in parliament where he had said that this attack was a conspiracy to bring Gotabaya Rajapaksa into power and that Zaharan was in touch with State Intelligence. Thereafter, recordings of a zoom meeting was shown where Bishop Malcom Cardinal Ranjith and Fr. Cyril Gamini spoke. They too had said that this is a conspiracy and that Sallay was involved in this attack and this has to be investigated thoroughly.

The third video was of MP Nalin Bandara who says that Zaharan was working with the SIS and it was they who provided security and money to the terrorist group.

At the Easter Commission and even in Parliament MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and MP Manusha Nanayakkara revealed how Suresh Sallay had met Zaharan at Lactowatte in Vanathawilluwa.

The official alleged that Sallay had then threatened Maulana that it was he (Maulana) and Pillayan who knew that he (Sallay) had met Zaharan, but Pillayan did not know every detail other than Maulana. Sallay, at that time, had made severe warnings.

It is alleged that Sallay had further stated that at the Security Council and the President had inquired about this and had ordered an inquiry to find out how such information was leaked.

Following this, Maulana had spoken to Pillayan seeking his assistance. Since all his attempts had failed and as his life was in danger, Maulana had left to India and from there to the Europe, from where he had decided to reveal the truth.

Azad Maulana should be questioned: Catholic Church

Whilst highlighting that Criminal Investigation Department (CID) should be allowed to carry out investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks independently, Member of the Communications Committee Archdiocese of Colombo Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando today said onetime Secretary of MP Sivanesathurei Chandrakanthan Azad Maulana should be probed.

“Moulana should be either extradited or should be questioned through other means,” Fr. Fernando told a press conference.

“The channel four clip referred to both Suresh Sallay and Maulana. However only Sallay has been questioned to date. Therefore it is essential to probe Maulana as well. Also one should not make conclusions on the investigations before it is completed,” he said referring to recent statements made by former Minister Udaya Gammanpila who had alleged that there is a move to arrest former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“One has to be patient till the investigations are completed,” he added.

Fr. Fernando said the Catholic Church is confident that there would be some progress with regard to investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks under the current government though it does not fully trust the present regime. “We cannot say we trust the present government hundred percent but we are confident that the investigations would move in the right direction,” he also said.

Cabinet Reviews AG’s Controversial Recommendation on Lasantha

Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Attorney General’s recommendation to release three suspects involved in the murder case of senior journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge is currently under review.

In response to this development, several media organizations have expressed strong opposition.

What is the Attorney General’s Advice on the Lasantha Wickrematunge Assassination?

The Attorney General’s advice on the Lasantha Wickrematunge assassination case has become a topic of significant debate.

The controversy stems from a letter sent by the Attorney General to the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on January 27.

The Attorney General informed that no further legal action would be taken against three individuals involved in the case: Prem Ananda Udalagama, Don Tissasiri Sugathapala, and Prasanna Nanayakkara.

A copy of the Attorney General’s letter was also sent to the Magistrate of Mount Lavinia.

The Magistrate is required to inform the Attorney General of the actions taken based on this recommendation.

Who Are The Individuals Involved?

Prem Ananda Udalagama was a Former member of the Army Intelligence Unit, accused of abducting and threatening Lasantha Wickrematunge’s driver, Devamullage Karunaratne.

He also faces charges related to the abduction and assault of journalists Keith Noyahr and Upali Tennakoon.

Don Tissasiri Sugathapala was the Former Officer-in-Charge of the Crimes Division at the Mount Lavinia Police Station.

Prasanna Nanayakkara is a Retired Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police.

Both Sugathapala and Nanayakkara are accused of destroying evidence related to Lasantha Wickrematunge’s assassination, specifically the notes that were penned down in the diary found in Wickrematunge’s vehicle at the time of his murder.

What Was The Reason for the Attorney General’s Recommendation?

The Attorney General’s Department said that Prem Ananda Udalagama was identified by Lasantha Wickrematunge’s driver during a lineup, but the driver later claimed that the CID had shown him Udalagama before the identification process.

The Attorney General’s Department cited insufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges against Tissasiri Sugathapala and Prasanna Nanayakkara.

What Revelations Were Made In Court?

On June 1st, 2018, during the trial related to the assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge, significant revelations were made regarding the second and third suspects, former Police Inspector Tissasiri Sugathapala and retired Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Prasanna Nanayakkara.

Attorney-at-Law Rasika Weerasuriya, representing Tissasiri Sugathapala, stated in court that Prasanna Nanayakkara, who was the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the area at the time, had threatened his client. The threat was to prevent investigations into the motorcycle numbers noted in Lasantha Wickrematunge’s diary, which was found in his vehicle at the time of his murder.

The Attorney-at-Law further revealed that Prasanna Nanayakkara had warned that if the investigations continued, Tissasiri Sugathapala and his family could face the same fate as Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The Attorney-at-Law added that consequently, the relevant diary and investigation reports were handed over to Deputy Inspector General of Police Prasanna Nanayakkara by Tissasiri Sugathapala.

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Wife of Lasantha Wickrematunga to get top UN post

It is reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to appoint journalist Sonali Samarasinghe, the wife of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga, as a Minister-Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York.

Meanwhile, the first wife of Lasantha Wickrematunga, journalist Raine Wickrematunga, and their three children continue their struggle to seek justice by exerting pressure both locally and internationally for an impartial investigation into the assassination of the founding editor of the Sunday Leader.

The recent decision to release three suspects linked to the assassination of Wickrematunge has triggered strong backlash from media and civil rights activists, who allege it is part of an effort to shield criminals.

Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has informed the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) that legal proceedings would not continue against three key suspects in the case.

Media organizations and civil society leaders have expressed their dismay, claiming the move undermines efforts to deliver justice in the long-delayed case.