Five including ex-President Maithirpala ordered to pay compensation to Easter attack victims
January 12, 2023 11:50 am
The Supreme Court has found that former President Maithripala 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.
They were also ordered to pay compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, Ada Derana reporter said.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the petitioners, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and the former State Intelligence Service (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 states that the government should pay Rs. 01 million in compensation to the victims.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court has ordered to take disciplinary action against the former Chief of the SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena.
The order was issued this morning (Jan. 12), 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 negligence and failure to prevent the terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.
The seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench was comprised of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, L.T.B. Dehideniya, Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairaja, A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Shiran Gunaratne.
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, Attorney-at-Law Moditha Ekanayake, who was injured in the bombings at the Shangri-La Hotel.
