• Alleges former Govt. officials and MPs are working to create confusion surrounding investigation
• Emphasises he does not accept any reports by former Govt. on Easter Sunday terror attack
• Expresses hope that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will fulfil his promise to conduct proper investigation

Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith

Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has voiced serious concerns over attempts by a particular group of persons to mislead the public regarding the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Delivering a sermon on Sunday, the Archbishop noted that a new group, including former Government officials and Members of Parliament, are working to create confusion surrounding the investigation.

He referenced two reports from the previous Government, noting that one of the reports by a Committee of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday terrorist attack had recommended legal action against two senior officials of the current Government.

“In one of the two reports from the previous Government, the recommendations are the same as those made by the Presidential Commission investigating the Easter Sunday terrorist attack. The only distinction is that the new report calls for legal action against two senior officials of the current Government. It’s evident that the previous Government was behind the instructions leading to this recommendation,” he said.

The Archbishop emphasised that he does not accept either of the reports and expressed hope that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will fulfil his promise to conduct a proper investigation. “The Catholic Church will now observe if he delivers,” he said.

These comments followed a warning from former MP Udaya Gammanpila, who revealed that two reports related to the Easter Sunday attack have yet to be made public. According to Gammanpila, the reports had recommended legal action against former Police officers Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekara.

The current Government has appointed former DIG Ravi Seneviratne as the Public Security Ministry Secretary and former CID Director Shani Abeysekara as the Central Criminal Intelligence Analysis Bureau Director.