TID & IGP acted irresponsibly from the beginning, AG’s Dept tells PSC

The police have not taken any action against Zahran Hashim, the Attorney General’s Department alleged today (01).

Testifying before the Special Parliamentary Select Committee, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris said the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and the Inspector General of Police had acted irresponsibly from the beginning.

during the previous committee meeting, State Counsel Malik Azeez testified before the Select Committee on behalf of the Attorney General as Deputy Solicitor General Azath Navavi was reported to be overseas at the time.

The Attorney General’s Department today requested the Select Committee to grant permission for Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris to give evidence before the panel as there are misconceptions about the testimonies given by State Counsel Azeez.

Deputy Solicitor General Peiris said that then-Attorney General, who is the current Chief Justice, had received a letter from Al-Haj Abdul Jawad Alim Valiyullah Trust, dated 3rd of April 2017.

He revealed that this letter, which was personally handed over to the AG’s Department, had contained information on the extremist activities of Zahran Maulvi of National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) and the severity of these activities.

The letter had requested the Attorney General to take action on the provided information stating that these extremist activities of the NTJ had disrupted the peaceful environment of the area and that it could escalate to a serious situation in the future.

Several photos that had captured persons carrying swords and several others who had sustained injuries during an extremist activity carried out by the NTJ, were attached to the letter.

Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris further stated that, under the instructions of then-Attorney General, he had directed a letter dated 22nd of June 2017 to the IGP calling for a report on the NTJ if the police had conducted any investigation on the organization.

However, the IGP nor any law-enforcing unit has submitted any report to the AG’s Department to date, as a response to the letter.

Although a complaint was lodged with the TID on the matter, yet it took more than two years for the TID to record a statement from the complainant, he continued.

Hence, the deputy solicitor general alleges the IGP and the TID had acted irresponsibly from the beginning, the deputy solicitor general alleged.

Meanwhile, Deputy Solicitor General Azath Navavi, giving evidence before the Select Committee, stressed that he vehemently refutes the allegations levelled at the AG’s Department over Zahran Hashim and Easter Sunday attacks.