Four Maldivians had met the mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks, Zahran Hashim in Sri Lanka, Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara told Parliament today.
He said that the Maldivians had met Hashim and others linked to the bombings on a number of occassions.
The meetings had reportedly taken place between the year 2016 and before the April 2019 attacks.
Weerasekara said that the four Maldivians have been linked to extremism and terrorism.
He said that they were put in touch with Hashim by two Sri Lankans based in Australia.
Weerasekara revealed the details in Parliament when the report on the Easter Sunday attacks by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry was debated today.
The Minister revealed the status of the investigations into the deadly bombings.
He said that steps are to be taken to ban 11 organisations based in Sri Lanka, linked to the Easter Sunday attacks.
The Minister also said that steps are being taken to strengthen National security in Sri Lanka.