The new leader of Sri Lanka vowed that the reopened investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks would not be compromised, as he ordered a formal inquiry to begin.
“We will not be swayed or hindered by any attempts to derail this process. We are committed to conducting a fair investigation and revealing the truth. There is nothing for us to hide or anyone to protect,” said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
According to local news, Dissanayake instructed the Inspector General of Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to initiate a formal inquiry.
Speaking at a National People’s Power rally in Katunayake on October 20, President Dissanayake emphasized the significance of conducting a thorough and transparent investigation.
He criticized efforts to suppress crucial information related to the attacks, pointing fingers at an individual who attempted to conceal two reports produced during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as president.
“Those who used the 2019 Easter attacks to gain power, repeatedly exploiting the incident, have now resurfaced after five years,” he said.
“They are now demanding the release of those reports. Both of those reports were done under Ranil Wickremesinghe’s purview. Neither of them are reports from investigative committees,” he added.
In January 2023, the Supreme Court also found four senior officials and politicians, including former President Maithripala Sirisena, responsible for failing to prevent the attacks, despite intelligence warnings.
Along with Sirisena, former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera, former Defense Minister Hemasiri Fernando, and former head of Intelligence Sisira Mendis were ordered to pay substantial fines.
Despite these legal proceedings, key questions about the masterminds and instigators of the attacks remain unresolved.
The Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 targeted multiple churches and hotels, resulting in over 290 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Despite initial investigations, the lack of accountability and transparency has led to growing demands for justice.
