Revelation of Sunday Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka: report
Channel 4’s (UK) Dispatches release a programme to reveal shocking details over the Easter Sunday attack in Sri Lanka, which it says alleges complicity by official from the government. The Program contained details related to the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks, as well as the assassination of the Editor of the Sunday Leader, the late- Lasantha Wickrametunge.
Claims made by Hanzeer Azad Maulana, who at one- time was the Spokesperson of present- Sri Lankan State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, and IP Nishantha de Silva, the former head of the organised crimes investigation unit at the CID, later who fled Sri Lanka, as well as an un-named Government Official are included in the programme.
Maulana claims that he and Pillayan met then- Defences Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse when asked to form a paramilitary death squad called ‘The Tripoli Platoon’.
“He said to Pillayan, “You select your best team and together work. The Tripoli Platoon was working under the direct command of Gotabaya. They selected people against the government. They were targeted and killed. We met Gotabaya in his room. He had the Sunday Leader paper in front of him. He said this ‘Balla’. In Sinhala ‘Balla’ means Dog. This Balla is always playing with me, and he says Lasantha should be killed. If you can, you can do it immediately. As soon as possible,” said Hanzeer Azad Maulana in the programme.
Former Police Inspector Nishantha de Silva, also featured in the programme revealed details of investigation surrounding the murder of Lasantha Wickrametunge that led him to ‘The Tripoli Platoon.’
“ Along with other information connected to the assassination, I identified five telephone numbers belonging to the members of the Tripoli Platoon, used for the murder of Lasantha Wickrametunge. Gotabaya Rajapakse had direct monitoring of the Tripoli Platoon. So, I summoned Gotabaya to the CID. He asked me ‘Why did you name as a suspect in Lasantha Wickrametunge’s case? I said, ‘I only do what is required, I do not do unnecessary things. I don’t care who you are, I will name you as a suspect. He didn’t look very pleased with me,” He revealed in the programme.
Hanzeer Azad Maulana had made a statement on how Pillayan met with the Easter Bombers.
“Pillayan told me, I have some prisoners with me. They are very interesting. They are very extreme. He said you meet one person. So one prison guard brought one person. He was a dark person with a beard. I say salam, and he says salam. Muslim greeting, assalamu alaikum. His name is zainee Maulavi. I’ve never seen like this people. They are waiting for death. They want to go to Paradise. But Pillayan says it is good, we will use them. They are not interested in anything in the world. But we can use them.”
Maulana said that on Pillayan orders, he found the men a lawyer, and money for bail.
“In January 2018, Pillayan called me, and (said) you organise a meeting between Suresh Sallay and these people. The exact location name is Karadipuval. After that I give the information to the group to come to the place. I went to the place, a big coconut farm and one house was there. They came in a white van. Six people got down from the vehicle. Suresh Sallay told me the Rajapakses need an unsafe situation in Sri Lanka. That’s the only way for Gotabaya to become president. So this is the meeting between them with the terrorist group and Suresh Sallay,” said Hanzeer Azad Maulana in the programme.
Hanzeer Azad Maulana also detailed an incident on the day of the Terror Attacks.
“Suresh Sallay called me. He just said, immediately you can go to the Taj Samudra Hotel. A person wait(ing) for you. Come out, you take him into vehicle immediately. Once you take him, you take his phone. After that ask where he can go and drop him. That is what he instructed to me. But, I told Sir, I was in Batticaloa. After the Easter bombing happened. I realised the faces who participated in the meeting. First, is Zaharan. Suicide bomber and leader. So I knew thse people, I met. I was scared. I called Pillayan. He said shut up your mouth, you don’t know anything. That’s it.”
Another un-named government official made a starling claim in the Channel 4 programme.
“First the FBI gage us an IP address had direct connections to Zaharan and they said to look into it. It was a Muslim soldier attached to Military intelligence. He played a huge role. He facilitated it. He knew about the suicide bombers, especially Zaharan and his involvement,” he said about Suresh Sallay.
Channel 4 says that the allegations in programme were put to Gotabaya Rajapakse and Pillayan. They did not respond.
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