IGP & former Defence Secretary granted bail

Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando have been released on bail today (09).

The bail order was issued by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne.

Accordingly, the chief magistrate imposed a surety bail of Rs 500,000 each.

The duo was not produced before the chief magistrate when the case was taken up today (09).

The prison officers produced medical reports of the IGP and former Defence Secretary to the court, stating that they are still being treated in hospital.

Announcing the bail order, the chief magistrate stated that the information presented at the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the terror attacks on Easter Sunday cannot be considered at the magistrate’s court proceedings.

The chief magistrate further stated that the Criminal Investigation Department has not even obtained statements from the two suspects, as should be done when they are alleged of murder.

The chief magistrate went on to say that the State Intelligence Chief had directed many letters to the duo prior to the Easter Sunday attacks but failed to mention any imminent threat.

Therefore, the chief magistrate inquired as to how the suspects could have acted on unconfirmed intelligence.

Speaking on the fact that the state intelligence chief had informed the suspects of the threat of the attacks via WhatsApp, the chief magistrate asked how practical it was to communicate important and sensitive information through a leisure-time messenger such as WhatsApp at 8.21 a.m. of 21st of April. She suggested that such sensitive information could have been communicated more systematically.

The chief magistrate also said given the fact that the first explosion had already gone off when the relevant WhatsApp message was received, submissions made by the legal counsels of the suspects made it evident that the duo paid attention to the matter at hand.

Although the suspects do not seem to have taken all the necessary actions to prevent the attacks, sufficient evidence is not presented to prove that the murders were committed owing to their negligence, the chief magistrate pointed out.

The chief magistrate further stated that the defence secretary does not hold the power over armed forces and intelligence units as done by the defence minister.

Chief Magistrate Jayaratne insisted that she is not bound to seek the advice of the Attorney General to grant bail to the IGP and the former Defence Secretary.

The duo was subsequently released on surety bails of Rs 500,000 each.

IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were informed to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on July 2nd.

However, the IGP was admitted to the Police Hospital in Narahenpita while the former Defence Secretary was admitted to the Coronary-Care Unit (CCU) at the National Hospital Colombo over sudden illnesses.

A group of CID officers had arrested the duo in the evening of the same day and ordered to be remanded until the 3rd of July.

Following a lengthy trial, Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered to further remand the suspects until today (09).