The ongoing debate over the alleged concealment of reports related to the deadly Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 took a new turn yesterday, as Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila formally requested a meeting with Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath. Gammanpila stated that he is prepared to hand over what he described as “all defense-sensitive materials.”
This development follows Gammanpila’s earlier challenge to the government to make the reports public, raising questions as to why they have been withheld from the public. In response, the government gave Gammanpila a three-day ultimatum to submit the reports in his possession.
The reports in question were commissioned by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and examine the role of intelligence services during the attacks, as well as allegations raised in a Channel 4 documentary. These reports were prepared by committees led by I.M. Imam and A.N.J. de Alwis.
On April 19, 2019, eight coordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches—St. Anthony’s Shrine, St. Sebastian’s Church, and Zion Church—as well as three luxury hotels in Colombo, resulting in the deaths of numerous locals and foreign nationals from countries including China, the U.S., and the U.K. Foreign intelligence agencies, such as the FBI, assisted in the investigation, leading to the identification of the local terrorist network.
Gammanpila told Daily Mirror that while he cannot release security-sensitive information publicly, he has attempted to contact Minister Herath to arrange a responsible handover of the materials. Having received no response, he sent a letter by registered post to request an official meeting.
Source – https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Fresh-twist-in-Easter-attack-probe/108-294050
