Justice Minister accuses Channel 4 of being ‘pro-diaspora’

Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has asserted that the government stands ready to conduct an international investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Despite his emphasis that the relevant investigation would be an international probe and not a domestic one, the Minister opined skepticism pertaining to ‘Channel 4’s’ recent exposé on the Easter bombings, claiming that diaspora groups were often seen publishing such controversial videos against Sri Lanka ahead of the annual sessions of the United Nations  Human Rights Conference (UNHRC).

Dr. Rajapakshe made these remarks during a media conference held at the ministry’s premises this afternoon (07 Sep.) to brief the public on the new Anti-Corruption Act.

Accordingly, the Minister accused the British television channel of being a ‘pro-diaspora’ institution. Despite these claims, however, he assured that a comprehensive investigation would be carried out into the claims made in the documentary.

Speaking further, the Minister of Justice stated that when he, during a parliamentary speech, warned the public of such possibilities and that the ISIS was recruiting Sri Lankan youth for training programmes, his words fell on deaf ears.

“I made a statement in parliament related to the matter 29 months before the Easter attacks….I was accused of trying to create disharmony and trying to turn the country into a pool of blood… But 29 months later, everyone’s eyes were opened to the truth”, the Minister said in this regard.

Speaking with regards to UK’s ‘Channel 4’s’ most recent and heavily controversial exposé on the series of bombings that shook Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019, Minister Rajapakshe accused the British TV channel of working with diasporas, further claiming that the institution was not one that sought justice for the victims of the attack.