Officers who failed to prevent attacks should be held responsible; Ex-President

Colombo (News 1st);  Former President Maithripala Sirisena strongly rejected the allegations made against him that claim information about the 2019 terror attacks was received before he went overseas. Testifying at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the 2019 April 21st Attacks, the Former President dismissed as false a statement which was made claiming he offered a diplomatic post to the Ex-IGP if the latter accepted responsibility for failing to prevent the attacks. Sirisena said even though Zaharan's group was completely eliminated following the April Attacks when observing the statement made by IS and its activities globally, it can be assumed the terror movement is far from over. The Former President also rejected a statement made by Ex-Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe who claimed he made a special statement to Parliament on the 18th of November 2018 with regard to extremist organizations and their activities as responsible authorities and officials of the then administration had failed to pay necessary attention towards these matters. Whenever information was received, the relevant authorities and agencies were informed about it for necessary action to be taken, said the Former President. The Additional Solicitor General assisting the Presidential Commission of Inquiry said an analysis showed there was no regulation whatsoever in the country with regard to the establishment of places of worship. It was also revealed at the PCoI, in Kattankidy constructions took a different style compared to all other areas in the country, and Arabic was widely used in the area. It was further revealed at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry it was Ex-Governor A. L. A. M. Hizbullah who initiated the process of planting date trees along the roads of Kattankudy. The Additional Solicitor General assisting the Presidential Commission of Inquiry said Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his testimony noted everyone must be collectively responsible for the April 21st Attacks. The Former President said the officers who failed to prevent the attacks even when there were opportunities to do so, must be held responsible for the terror attacks. The PCoI said 04 suspects were arrested as per the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act with regard to the discovery of a weapons cache in Wanathavilluwa on the 16th of January 2019 and less than three months after the arrest, two of those suspects were released. The Ex-President said if such an event had taken place, the person who recommended the release should be held responsible. However, the PCoI pointed out it was the Ex-President himself who had signed the release papers. Maithripala Sirisena said he placed his signature on multiple documents presented to him by the Criminal Investigations Department and the Ministry of Defence adding he was not able to peruse the contents of each and every document individually.