Govt rejects Easter attacks report released by Gammanpila, assures fresh probe

The government does not accept the investigative committee report on the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, which was released by former MP Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (21), Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath said. 

However, he stated that the government will conduct a new investigation into the incidents. 

He revealed this stance while speaking during the Cabinet press briefing in Colombo today (22).

Divulging the contents of a previously unreleased investigative committee report on the Easter Sunday attacks during a press conference yesterday (21), Gammanpila had claimed that former Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne has been named as an accused in the report and called for his immediate removal from the post of Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security.

He had also alleged that the report recommends filing criminal charges against former Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne and former CID Director Shani Abeysekera for their failure to adequately perform their duties.

Responding to questions from reporters regarding these accusations and the said report, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath emphasized that the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks were conducted impartially by the team of CID officers including Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera. 

He claimed that when Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office as the President, there was an immediate effort to remove Shani Abeysekera who was subjected to a ‘witch hunt’, and that political interference had previously obstructed investigations. 

“We don’t interfere like that. We are allowing investigations to proceed,” he assured. 

Highlighting that many other individuals are mentioned in the investigative report referred to by Gammanpila, Minister Herath stated that the former MP is not questioning those names and is solely focusing on discrediting Seneviratne and Abeysekera in order to have them removed from their positions. “We will not surrender to those needs.”

“The clear target of this committee report is none other than Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera,” he charged.

Herath referenced a previous Supreme Court case concerning the violation of fundamental rights of the Easter attack victims, pointing out that while Ravi Seneviratne’s name was mentioned, he was not found guilty of any charges by a panel of seven judges, and neither was Shani Abeysekera’s name included in the case. 

Herath suggested that the committee’s report aimed specifically at Seneviratne and Abeysekera, noting that other individuals, such as former IGP Deshbandu Tennakoon, were also mentioned but received no attention from Gammanpila. 

He criticized Gammanpila for not addressing these individuals, implying that the timing of the report, shortly after the election campaigns, was a reflection of personal motives rather than a genuine effort for accountability.

“He cannot see those other names. Now after sleeping for so long he has woken up. He held ministerial posts in the government. He was in the opposition. He never spokes about this then. It is now clear whose wishes are being fulfilled as the report was handed over exactly when the election campaigning ended. This is just committee report, “ he said.
 
Explaining further about these allegations, Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath said that the committee was established based on political interests.

Therefore, he said, the government will not accept the committee reports. 

He said that Ravi Seneviratne has not been found guilty anywhere in the Janaka de silva commission report. 

He further said that as a government, they do not accept this committee, which he claimed was formed by then President Ranil Wickremesinghe with the aim of political revenge, by appointing a former high court judge who was accused of misconduct and had retired.

The government expressed its intention to conduct a new investigation that would consider all relevant facts from these reports, emphasizing a commitment to justice for the victims of perceived injustice.