National Catholic Committee for Truth and Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims writes to President – – Melani Manel Perera

The Catholic Church, again addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a local probe to clear certain shortcomings that are visible in the previous probes into the Easter Sunday bomb attacks. The National Catholic Committee for Truth and Justice for the Victims of the Easter Sunday Attacks says that claims that the investigation into the Easter bombings is 99% complete is completely false.

The Committee says that previous investigations have neglected important issues. Investigations have not been carried out into the person whose IP address had been handed over to the CID by American FBI intelligence member, halting the questioning of IP Bandara who had been identified as Sonic Sonic, failure to identify Abu Hind, failure to carry out investigations to determine the connection which bomber Jamil had with intelligence units and the incident at the Galanigama exit where an explosives laded lorry had been allowed to pass have not been properly probed, the letter said.

The Committee also requested for a probe into what was alleged in the recent Channel 4 video. They said the probe should be monitored by independent foreign observers.

Father Cyril Gamini Fernando read the full letter which was sent to the President at the press briefing held at the Bishop’s house yesterday. And again the Catholic Church presented 05 suggestions to the government with the aim of obtaining a ‘just and transparent’ investigation.

Otherwise, they say that “there will be no other way to ensure justice and fairness to the innocent victims of that violence.”

“We also wish to affirm that we have presented these proposals and questions also on behalf of all our fellow citizens who want to see truth and justice meted out to all those who were cruelly murdered and all those who continue to suffer from injury due to the Easter Sunday bombings.” saying that, they have concluded the letter.

The letter has been signed by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, President of Sri Lanka Catholic Bishops’ Conference Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Chillaw Valance Mendis, Bishop of Galle Raymond Wickremesinghe, and Auxiliary Bishops J.D. Anthony  Jayakody, Anton Ranjith Maxwell Silva, and several priests as the members of the Committee.

Proposals of the National Catholic Committee for Truth and Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims :
1. Thus considering the above, we propose that, an impartial, just, transparent and broad based investigation, which would examine also the important data that the Channel 4 revelations have brought into light concerning a plot said to have been behind the Easter Sunday bomb attack and matters mentioned therein on the persons said to have been involved and all those matters that emerged from the evidence given before by the various commissions and committee which yet, have not been investigated sufficiently up to now, should be conducted.
2. This investigation has to be done under the guidance and direction of an independent and international investigative team.
3. That independent investigation should actively involve all those CID officers who were involved in investigations already after the Easter attacks and who were thereafter transferred to various locations and assignments in a diversionary tactic.
4. All those who at the moment hold top positions in the Intelligence sector of the State and of the Police should be temporarily suspended in order to enable a truly independent investigation. At the same time Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena who js now the officer in charge of administration in the Police who has been named by the Supreme Court as one who failed in his duty to prevent these attacks even though he knew about them beforehand and Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennekoon who has also been accused of the same failure should both be suspended from their responsibilities until these investigations are over.
5. Almost all of the recommendations made by the PCOI have not been implemented as yet. So, we earnestly request that steps be taken to implement all these recommendations.