Last Update: March 01, 2023, 22:12 IST
Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has been named as a suspect by a court in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings case that caused the deaths of over 200 people (Image: Reuters file)
Some 108 of the victims of the attack had filed cases against then-President Sirisena for ignoring advance intelligence warnings, which proved costly to the island nation’s economy, mainly dependent on tourism.
A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday rejected former President Maithripala Sirisena’s plea to absolve him of all charges related to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attack that killed nearly 270 people.
Some 108 of the victims of the attack had filed cases against then-President Sirisena for ignoring advance intelligence warnings, which proved costly to the island nation’s economy, mainly dependent on tourism.
Nine suicide bombers linked to the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), a local Islamic extremist group linked to ISIS, carried out a series of devastating blasts at three Catholic churches and several luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11. Indians, and over 500 injured.
The Colombo Appellate High Court on Wednesday rejected Sirisena’s plea to be discharged from all cases related to the 2019 Easter attacks. He was pleading that he be personally acquitted of all the cases by making the State a respondent.
In January, a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court ordered Sirisena, 71, to pay SLR 100 million as compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter attack, which was among the country’s worst terror attacks despite reliable information not being available. He was negligent in stopping one. of an impending attack.
The bench had ruled that the fundamental rights of the petitioners were violated by the respondents named in the petitions for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. It said it failed to act on the detailed intelligence shared by the top official India To prevent deadly suicide blasts.
Sirisena was given six months to make the payment or face court charges. Later, he publicly stated that he was collecting money from his well-wishers to pay the amount ordered by the apex court.
The court also ordered former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former state intelligence services chief Neelantha Jayawardene to pay SLR compensation. 75 million each, to pay compensation to former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando Slr. 50 million to pay compensation to SLR and former National Intelligence Service chief Sisira Mendis. Hundred lakhs
He was ordered to make payments from his personal funds to the Victims Fund maintained by the Compensation Office.
The attack sparked a political storm as then-President Sirisena and then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were blamed for their inability to prevent the attacks despite prior intelligence being available.
Following the attacks, a presidential panel of inquiry appointed by Sirisena found the then President guilty of his failure to prevent the attacks.
However, Sirisena pleaded not guilty to the charge in the case filed after the panel’s findings.
The head of the local Catholic Church, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, continued to express dissatisfaction with the investigation into the matter, claiming that the investigation was a cover-up.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)