Sri Lankan minister says investigations into 2019 Easter attacks entered new phase

Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister said that investigations are being conducted into the facts revealed in the 2023 documentary by British media outlet ‘Channel 4’ on the Easter Sunday attacks and related investigations.

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala on Tuesday said that the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks have entered a new phase under the current government.

On April 21, 2019, nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat linked to ISIS carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 270 people and injuring over 500.

"We have initiated a new phase of the investigation," Wijepala told the Parliament.

He said that investigations are being conducted into the facts revealed in the 2023 documentary by British media outlet ‘Channel 4’ on the Easter Sunday attacks and related investigations.

Wijepala noted that facts were shared with the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on November 11 last year and that investigations are being carried out.  He further revealed that as of now, statements have been recorded from 48 persons, including 12 civil witnesses, 7 Army personnel, 26 police officers, and three prison officials.  He said that following preliminary investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the Terrorism Investigation Division regarding the Easter attacks, 747 people were arrested and the Attorney General has filed 14 indictments against 100 suspects.

In the run-up to the presidential election in September, the new ruling party - the National People's Power - had pledged to revive all controversial cases under previous presidencies since 2005.

The Catholic Church has been highly critical of the investigations on the Easter Sunday bombings, branding them as a political cover-up.

The Easter Sunday bombings triggered a political storm as then-President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were blamed for their inability to prevent the attacks despite prior intelligence being made available.

The former president stressed the attack took place without his knowledge.

A presidential panel of inquiry appointed by Sirisena after the attacks ironically found the then-president guilty of his failure to prevent the attacks.

Sirisena, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge in the case filed after the panel’s findings.