Sri Lanka’s Parliament and Cabinet discuss allegations on Easter attacks

Sri Lanka’s Parliament and the Cabinet discussed the latest allegations over the Easter Sunday attacks.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara told Parliament today that the Cabinet which met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe discussed the allegations raised in the Channel 4 documentary.

The Minister said that the Government will back an international investigation into the claims.

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) told Parliament that an international investigation must be carried out.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that an international investigation is required to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks.

SJB MP Nalin Bandara said that State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and head of the State Intelligence Service Suresh Sallay must be questioned over the allegations raised in the Channel 4 video.

Government MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that there is an attempt to divide the country using the Channel 4 video.

He said that the public had decided to support the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) even before the Easter Sunday attacks.

Aluthgamage said that Channel 4 often makes allegations on Sri Lanka when the UN is about to meet.

Fromer spokesman of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), Azad Maulana, appeared before Channel 4 and alleged the Sri Lankan military intelligence met the Easter Sunday bombers before the attacks in 2019.

In a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, aired today (Tuesday) on the British television station, Maulana alleged that the meeting took place in the East and that he was also present.

Maulana alleged the meeting took place between Easter Sunday bomber Zahran Hashim and head of the State Intelligence Service Suresh Sallay.

The former TMVP spokesman, who has now sought asylum overseas, has shared the information with the UN and the EU as well as other diplomatic missions.

Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500.

Maulana alleged the military intelligence allowed the attack to go ahead to pave the way for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to win the Presidential election later that year.

The former TMVP spokesman, who has now sought asylum overseas, has shared the information with the UN and the EU as well as other diplomatic missions.

Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500.

Maulana alleged the military intelligence allowed the attack to go ahead to pave the way for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to win the Presidential election later that year. (Colombo Gazette)