AG to file contempt charges against ex-SDIG Nilantha Jayawardana
September 27, 2024 10:55 am
The Attorney General today informed the Supreme Court that contempt of court charges will be filed against former Senior DIG and head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Nilantha Jayawardana, for failing to pay the Rs. 75 million in compensation for the Easter Sunday bomb victims as ordered by the court.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court has ordered him to appear before the court on October 07.
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.
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.
The deadline to complete the relevant compensation payments was initially set for July 12, 2023.
On September 09, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara had completed the payment of Rs. 75 million in compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, former President Maithripala Sirisena on August 16 had also completed the payments of compensation of Rs. 100 million to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks as ordered by the Supreme Court.
