BREAKING: Supreme Court order Sirisena, Ex-Police Chief & others to pay compensation for Easter Attacks Victims

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ordered the government pay Rs. 1 Million as compensation per person to those who were killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks.

The Supreme Court on Thursday (12) ruled that the respondents named in the Fundamental Rights petitions for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, despite having credible information of an imment attack, had violated the Fundamental Rights of the petitioners.

The respondents named in the petitions are Former President Maithripala Sirisena, Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, Former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara, Former National Intelligence Service Chief Sisira Mendis, and Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardena.

Court ordered Former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay a compensation of Rs. 100 Million, Former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara & Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene to pay a compensation of Rs. 75 Million each, Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to pay a compensation of Rs. 50 Million.

Former National Intelligence Service Chief Sisira Mendis was ordered by the court to pay a compensation of Rs. 10 Million.

The Supreme Court said that all these funds need to be collected and be used to compensate the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks.

Accordingly, the government must make available Rs. 1 Million per person killed in the terror attacks, and Rs. 500,000/- to each person injured in the attacks.

Court ordered that the state must take the necessary measures to compensate the victims.

In addition the Supreme Court ordered to take disciplinary action against  Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene within 6 months.

The Attorney General was ordered to monitor and report to the court on the progress of compensating the victims, and the action taken against  Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene.

Summary of Orders:

1) A Victim Fund must be established at the Office for Reparation, which must formulate a scheme to award the sums ordered as compensation in a fair and equitable manner to the victims and families.

2) The former President, Mathripala Sirisena is ordered to pay a sum of Rs 100 million as compensation.

3) The former IGP Pujith Jayasundera and the former Director, SIS Nilantha Jayawardena are directed to pay Rs 75 million each as compensation.

4) The former Secretary, Defence Hemasiri Fernando is ordered to pay Rs 50 million as compensation.

5) The former CNI Sisira Mendis is directed to pay Rs 10 million as compensation.

6) The State is ordered to pay Rs 1 million as compensation. 

The State and the individual respondents named above must make their payment of compensation to the victim fund maintained at the Office for Reparation. Respondents are directed to pay the aforesaid sums out of their personal funds.

 7) The Office for Reparation must also investigate the alleged underpayment and nonpayment with regard to the cabinet decision taken to compensate the victims.

 8) We also direct the Office for Reparations to invite any generous benefactors and donors to contribute towards the Victim Fund, by way of notifications in the media.

 9) A progress report on the scheme of payment and the details about payments made by the above respondents and any benefactors must be made available to this Court within 6 months from today.

10) The Attorney General is directed to coordinate and liaise with the Office for Reparation in giving effect to this order.

11) In view of the observations we have already made as regards the conduct of Director, SIS, we direct that the State take appropriate disciplinary action forthwith against the former Director, SIS Nilantha Jayawardena for his aforesaid lapses and failures.