Video featuring Zahran & several political reps aired at PCoI

A video featuring the ringleader of the Easter Sunday terror attacks Zahran Hashim, one of his brothers, a former Eastern Provincial Councillor of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and a candidate of the National Front for Good Governance (NFGG), has been aired at the Presidential Commission probing the attacks.

It revealed that Zahran had commissioned a report on the performance of Muslim parliamentarians during the period covering 2012 and 2015.

Meanwhile, former Chief of National Intelligence, Retired DIG Sisira Mendis also gave evidence before the Presidential Commission on Easter attacks for a fourth day on Friday (11).

During the proceedings, the Additional Solicitor General asked the witness whether it occurred to proscribe the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), since the intelligence units had reported that the organization had even drawn blood well ahead of the attacks.

In response, the witness stated that the thought did not occur prior to the attacks and that their primary aim was to arrest Zahran.

The Additional Solicitor General then asked the former National Intelligence chief if it was the Easter Sunday terror attacks that prompted the proscription of the organization in question, to which he replied in the affirmative.

“Did you have a chance to meet with the Defence Secretary and discuss the measures to be taken to arrest Zahran Hashim?” the Presidential Commission asked the witness.

His response was that it is something the Inspector General of Police (IGP) should have done, but it did not happen.

He added that Zahran’s extremist activities were discussed on various occasions during the security council and intelligence review meetings, however, the police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had failed to arrest him.

Next up, it was the turn of Mohamed Mustapha Abdul Rahuman, a defeated candidate in the 2015 General Election. He had contested the polls from the National Front for Good Governance (NFGG), which was set up to establish the Government of Good Governance.

A video of a discussion between the witness Abdul Rahuman, former Eastern Provincial councillor of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Sibly Farook and Zahran Hashim was played to the Presidential Commission.

The two persons seated in front of Abdul Rahuman and Sibly Farook are Zahran Hashim and his brother Zain Mohamed.

The video had been recorded for around 30 minutes and the witness was only shown relevant parts of the clip.

The discussions between the characters in the video were in the Tamil language. Zahran Hashim had vested responsibly on the members of the organization NFGG to study the conduct of Muslim parliamentarians including M.L.A.M. Hizbullah during the period between 2012 and 2015.

The report the NFGG had complied was taken up for discussion with political representatives in the talks caught on video.

Moreover, a sum of 1 million Riyal that M.L.A.M. Hizbullah had received from Arabia was also discussed by Sibly Farook and Zahran Hashim.

They were seen having extensive talks whether this money was received for Hizbullah’s political activities from Arabia via the Hira Foundation.

During the discussions, Zahran says that there is no issue with Hizbullah conducting his political activities with Arabic money.

The Additional Solicitor General then asks the witness of the reason for meeting with Sibly Farook and Zahran Hashim to which he replied that the discussion in question was held at the office of Zahran and that it was a political discussion.

He added that the discussion took place about a week before the 2015 General Election.