Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Wednesday that investigators have uncovered “sufficient and credible evidence” to reasonably believe former intelligence chief Major General (retd.) Tuan Suresh Salley conspired to facilitate the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by directing Islamic extremists who carried out the attacks.
According to the minister, four Muslim individuals were deployed under Salley’s direction approximately three weeks before the April 21, 2019 attacks to gather intelligence from Catholic churches in the Negombo area, including the number of worshippers attending services and other operational detail believed vital to setting the scale and targets of the bombings. A witness has reportedly identified the photograph of the main operative from CID images of Islamic extremism suspects; that individual is described as an ISIS ideologue who has remained missing since Easter Sunday.
Wijepala said prior warnings about an attack being planned by the National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) and its leader Zaharan Hashim were conveyed to military intelligence by an informant residing in Panadura, but were ignored. The informant was later arrested unlawfully and detained, the minister said, and after his release was summoned by Salley to a meeting at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo, where the former intelligence chief reportedly apologised. Statements by Mohamed Milar Mohamed Hanseer — also known as Azad Maulana — aired on Britain’s Channel 4 are cited as further corroboration.
The minister said the alleged conduct falls under the Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 48 of 1979, including providing direct and indirect support to terrorist activities and concealing those responsible. He said investigations are continuing and the ministry has shared its findings with the Attorney General.
The disclosure goes well beyond the Attorney General’s May 20 submission naming Salley as the “mastermind and contractor” and the April Parliament briefing tracing the conspiracy to 2017. Wijepala also defended the conditions of Salley’s PTA detention and said the Fort Magistrate has personally inspected the CID facility, with no torture complaints recorded.
Source: NewsFirst.
