Rev. Fr. Cyril files FR against attempts to arrest him

COLOMBO (News 1st); Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando filed a Fundamental Rights application with the Supreme Court on Tuesday (2) seeking an order to prevent any attempt being made by the Criminal Investigations Department to arrest him, after summoning him to the CID to record a statement.

The Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General Suresh Salley, and the Attorney General were named as respondents among others.

The Director-General of the State Intelligence Service Major General Suresh Salley filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department on 25th October 2021 against multiple malicious statements made in reference to him, with regard to the 2019 Easter Attacks, by Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando and others.

The complaint noted that Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando at an online forum on the 23rd of October 2021 on the Easter Attacks had stated that Sri Lanka’s Intelligence Units had provided financial and other forms of assistance to Zaharan Hashim, the Leader of the now-proscribed National Thowheed Jamath, who also led the attacks on the 21st of April 2019.

The complaint further notes that Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando had described Suresh Salley, a Brigadier at the time, to have been actively involved in nurturing Zaharan Hashim and his followers.

Major General Suresh Salley had stressed that he vehemently rejects the allegations made against him by Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando and others, also stressed that the allegations made to bring disrepute to him, are false.

Suresh Salley in his complaint requested for the Criminal Investigations Department to institute legal action against Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando as well as the others who attended the online forum in question.

In the Fundamental Rights application filed by Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando on Tuesday (2) he noted that he was informed to be present at the Criminal Investigations Department on Wednesday (3) to record a statement.

The application notes that there is an attempt to arrest Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando after he provides a statement to the CID.

Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando had requested in his application that the Supreme Court calls for the FR on Wednesday (3) and issue an order on the IGP, CID, and other officials preventing them from arresting him until the examination of the FR application is over.

At the same time, on Tuesday (2) morning the Save The Motherland Unity movement reported that Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando cannot be detained under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as he did not make any hateful statements at the said online forum.