Sri Lankan clergy offers support to priest who questioned role of intel agencies in 2019 Easter Sunday terror attack

Colombo, Nov 8 (PTI) A group of Catholic priests staged a rare protest in front of the Supreme Court complex here on Monday in support of their colleague, who has filed a fundamental rights application fearing a possible arrest for questioning the involvement of the Sri Lankan state intelligence operatives in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attack.

Last month, Reverend Father Cyril Gamini was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after Major General Suresh Salley, director of the State Intelligence Service, had alleged that the priest issued statements in connection with the 2019 terrorist attack.

Local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to the ISIS, carried out coordinated blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on the Easter Sunday in 2019, killing at least 270 people, and injuring over 500.

A prominent Catholic priest, Father Gamini had reportedly said that intelligence units had provided financial and other vital assistance to Zahran Hashim, the leader of the jihadi outfit, two years ago.

The priest did not appear before the CID, but moved a petition in the Supreme Court seeking an interim injunction against attempts to arrest him.

On Monday, CID informed the Supreme Court via the Attorney General’s Department that the priest will not be arrested.

The next hearing in the case was fixed for April 20, 2022.

In the past, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over the Easter Sunday terror attack investigations undertaken by the government.

The attack had caused a political storm as the then government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were blamed for not doing enough despite the prior intelligence made available.

During his tenure, Sirisena formed a presidential panel to probe the attacks.

In its report, the panel said Sirisena and a host of other top defence officials, including former IGPs and intelligence chiefs, were guilty of ignoring prior intelligence.

The panel report recommended criminal action against them.

The report had also recommended that findings against Sirisena and the then police top brass be referred to the Attorney General for necessary legal action.

Sirisena has publicly denied receiving any prior information on the attacks.