Mohamed Razik Mohamed Taslim, who was shot in the head by Zahran Hashim’s group, spoke to Ada Derana via a video call.
Taslim was the first person to reveal information on the suspects, who vandalized Buddhist statues in Mawanella area on 26th December 2018, and he is speaking to the media for the first time on how he tried to take action against religious extremism.
Investigations into the vandalism of Buddhist statues in Mawanella had led to the arrest of one of the suspects disclosed by Taslim.
As Taslim, father of three, became a target of the extremists as he went ahead to unveil more information on them.
On March 29th this year, Taslim was shot in the head while he was asleep at his home located in Danagama area, Mawanella.
Speaking to Ada Derana, Taslim said the Easter attacks could have been prevented had the authorities acted on the information disclosed by him.
Taslim is the coordinating secretary to Kabir Hashim, who recently stepped down from his ministerial post along with other Muslim ministers. He said the minister was notified regarding the suspects, however, the minister had responded it was the security forces that should be informed on the matter, not him.
“Day by day, one by one was taken into custody and their testimonies revealed the duo Saddik and Shahid had led the incident,” Taslim said during the video conversation.
Taslim says he subsequently uncovered that Zahran Hashim is also behind the said incident.
Responding to the questions, Taslim said he first learned of Zahran Hashim in late February.
Taslim says, several individuals, who were arrested over the Mawanella incident, are his acquaintances and when queries as to why they carried out an act as such, Saddik had asked him to join them.
The tip-off on the Shahid-Saddik duo was first given in February, says Taslim.
“I was shot in the head at my home. At first, I didn’t know what happened. But later, when I gained consciousness, I got to know that I was shot,” Taslim continued.
Even after the tip-off was given, the police had not acted on it properly, but the attacks could have been prevented had they taken necessary measures, Taslim told Ada Derana.
