Sallay masterminded Easter 2019 massacres
The charge by the Attorney General’s Department follows questioning of a new witness in France. The position of the former head of military intelligence has worsened. Starting in 2017, he allegedly financed Islamic and Tamil extremist groups to be used for suicide attacks and actions against Rajapaksa's adversaries, including the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – The position of the former head of military intelligence, retired Major General Suresh Sallay, has worsened according to the latest findings of the investigation into the Easter 2019 massacres in Sri Lanka, the suicide attacks that killed 278 people and shocked the country.
Sallay, detained for questioning last February and currently hospitalised at Colombo's National Hospital for poor health, has been formally charged with masterminding the attacks.
Before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris presented a 14-page report on the ongoing investigation.
The document alleges that Sallay had been planning since 2017 to use the jihadist group led by Zaharan Hashim to carry out a high-profile political and terrorist operation.
According to the Attorney General’s Department (AGD), contacts between the intelligence services and the extremist group began in the wake of clashes between Muslim factions in the Aliyar area in 2017. On that occasion, Hashim's associate, Seyni Moulavi, was arrested.
The AGD also alleges that Sallay authorised the use of military intelligence funds to finance the legal costs necessary for Moulavi’s release. Investigators allege that, even then, there was a plan to exploit a group of extremists willing to carry out suicide attacks.
The charges are largely based on the testimony of Azad Maulana, former personal secretary to former minister and Tamil leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, known as Pillayan.
Sri Lankan investigators travelled to France to take his statement. Maulana reportedly said that Sallay maintained ongoing contacts with Zaharan Hashim's group and that detailed records of meetings and communications between the military and jihadists were kept.
According to Additional Solicitor General Peiris, Maulana held five notebooks containing notes and details of these contacts.
The AGD also revealed alleged high-level political connections. The court heard that, after the 2019 attacks, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with his sons and political allies Namal Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, visited Pillayan in Batticaloa prison, promising him his release within a week of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's election.
According to the AGD, Sallay's return to the post of national intelligence was also announced on that occasion.
Peiris noted that military intelligence financed and protected both Pillayan's group and Zaharan Hashim’s using public funds. He also linked men close to Pillayan to some of Sri Lanka's most controversial murders and disappearances, including those of journalists Lasantha Wickrematunge, Prageeth Eknaligoda, and Keith Noyahr.
Sallay's defence denied all charges. Lawyer Shaveendra Fernando argued that Azad Maulana's testimony does not constitute valid evidence until it is verified and cross-examined in court. He also attacked the reliability of Channel 4, the British broadcaster that broadcast documentaries on alleged state responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks.
For its part, the AGD expressed fears for Sallay's safety, claiming that some organised groups are trying to block the investigation. For this reason, it requested that the former intelligence chief not appear in an open court and that all meetings with his lawyers be conducted under supervision.
Colombo Ford Magistrate Pasan Amarasena adjourned proceedings until 2 June, when the decision on whether Sallay must appear publicly in court or make a confidential statement will be announced. Meanwhile, the case will likely continue to stir Sri Lankan politics, with questions about who is behind one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country's history.
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20/10/2020 17:44
