IGP and former Defence Secretary before the Parliamentary Select Committee

Colombo (News 1st): Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and the former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando appeared before the special Parliamentary Select Committee probing the April 21st Attacks. Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara

Dr. Jayampathi Wickremaratne: From the day you were appointed, did you attend the security council? IGP: It is usually convened by the defence secretary. As I recall, I attended the council with regard to a transfer of an officer attached to the CID. This was in October 2018. I had received the directive that I do not have to attend the security council meeting after October. Dr. Jayampathi Wickremaratne: Who did you receive that directive from? Was it written or oral? IGP: I received that directive orally, by the then defence secretary Mr. Kapila Waidyaratne. I was told that the president had informed him. I had received it on the 9th.

Former Secretary of Defence Hemasiri Fernando

Sarath Fonseka: In the security council meeting that you attended, you said you attended about 3 or 4 security council meetings, Hemasiri Fernando: Yes, I attended four Sarath Fonseka: Did they speak of the NTJ at any one of those meetings? Hemasiri Fernando:  I can't even remember. You would know that we do not keep records of the proceedings of the Security Council, we only exchange information verbally. The relevant officials will only take notes of things that they have to do, and they carry out those orders. I have taken down certain notes as well. I don't have some of these notes that I took down, because I did not bring them along with me today. But as far as I know, we did not speak about this. We did speak a lot about Madush. We spoke of Madush at all three of the meetings. We did not speak of anything but Madush. When speaking about Defence Secretaries, there is a huge difference between myself and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the unofficial Minister of Defence, I am a helpless Secretary who cannot even speak with the Minister of Defence once a week. Sometimes at the weekly security council meeting, I leave Sisira Mendis to conduct the meeting and I wait for about three hours to get the files signed. That is the situation.