Maithripala completes compensation payments to Easter attack victims

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has completed the payments of compensation of Rs. 100 million to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, it is reported that the former President has paid the remaining amount of Rs. 12 million on August 16, thereby completing the total compensation payment ordered by the court.

On January 12, 2023, the Supreme Court found that former President Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former Chief of State Intelligence Nilantha Jayawardena have violated the Fundamental Rights of petitioners, by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving sufficient intelligence information.

As a result, they were ordered to pay compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, Ada Derana reporter said.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the petitioners, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and the former SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena were each ordered to pay Rs. 75 million, former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando was ordered to pay Rs. 50 million and former National Intelligence Director Sisira Mendis was ordered to pay Rs. 10 million from their personal money.

In addition, the judgment also stated that the government should pay Rs. 01 million in compensation to the victims.

The order was issued by a seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench, delivering its decision with regard to the 12 petitions filed by various parties stating that their fundamental rights were violated by the defendants’ negligence and failure to prevent the terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.

The 12 petitions were filed by a group of individuals including Nandana Sirimanna, whose two children were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks, tourism entrepreneur Janath Vidanage, three Catholic Fathers including Rev. Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda and Attorney-at-Law Moditha Ekanayake, who was injured in the bombings at the Shangri-La Hotel.

On July 15, the Supreme Court had ordered former President Sirisena, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Chief of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Nilantha Jayawardena, to complete their outstanding compensation payments before August 30, 2024.

Furthermore, the seven-member Supreme Court judge panel had ordered that if the relevant individuals fail to complete the payments before the said date, contempt of court charges will be filed against them before September 20, 2024.

The former President’s lawyers had informed the Supreme Court on the same day that Rs. 58 million of the total Rs. 100 million in compensation, which Sirisena had been ordered to pay the victims, had already been paid.

Meanwhile, the former President had also requested the court through his lawyers to extend the payment period for the remaining sum by six years. However, this request was rejected by the court which extended the deadline to August 30. 

On July 11, 2023, the former President completed paying Rs. 15 million as part of the compensation he was ordered to pay to the victims and filed a motion requesting that he be allowed to pay the remaining sum in 10 instalments of Rs. 8.5 million from 30 June 2024 to 20 June 2033.

The deadline to complete the relevant compensation payments was initially set for July 12, 2023.