Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris told the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that retired Major General Suresh Salley, the former Director of the State Intelligence Service, had acted as a key operational force behind the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.
Addressing the court, Peiris said the attacks could not have been carried out within Sri Lanka without organised support and alleged that Salley had functioned as the principal driving force behind the plot.
Former State Intelligence Service Director Suresh Salley, who has been named the third suspect in the case, was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court from detention custody under tight security provided by the Police Special Task Force.
The Additional Solicitor General further told the court that abductions and assaults targeting journalists had also been carried out by groups operating under Salley’s command. He said intelligence officers attached to the Giritale Army Camp, who operated under the suspect’s authority, had been arrested in connection with several such incidents, including the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda and attacks on journalists Upali Tennakoon and Keith Noyahr.
Peiris said all these crimes were carried out by groups functioning under the command of the third suspect and added that the Easter Sunday attacks were the result of long‑term planning carried out over an extended period.
He also told the court that the prosecution intends to bring all those responsible before justice before the eighth anniversary of the Easter Sunday attacks.
Referring to developments preceding the attacks, Peiris outlined a series of political events that unfolded alongside the planning of the bombings. These included the end of President Maithripala Sirisena’s tenure, the 52‑day constitutional crisis, the Supreme Court ruling that declared the crisis unconstitutional, incidents such as the vandalism of Buddha statues in Mawanella, and developments involving Gotabaya Rajapaksa, including public statements made in March 2018.
The Additional Solicitor General further warned the court that obstructions to the investigation had emerged and that witnesses were facing intimidation. He alleged that following a previous court hearing, an intelligence officer had visited the residence of a witness, after which five hand grenades and a pistol were discovered at the location.
Peiris also alleged that six dogs at the residence had been poisoned and claimed the weapons had been planted with the involvement of the Special Task Force. He told the court that while the Sri Lanka Army is a state institution, Army intelligence units were not cooperating with the ongoing investigation and that witnesses were being repeatedly pressured.
He further revealed that while in remand custody over the murder of former MP Joseph Pararajasingham, former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, had met Shaini, the brother of Zahran Hashim, inside prison. Peiris said this meeting had taken place with the knowledge of Suresh Salley, citing revelations made by Azad Moulana to Channel 4.
In response to a query by the Magistrate as to whether a statement had been recorded from Azad Moulana, Peiris said steps were being taken to obtain a statement from Moulana, who is currently in France, through the French Embassy using Zoom.
Delivering observations, the Colombo Fort Magistrate stressed that the investigation was not a game but a highly sensitive matter, and that the priority was to establish facts capable of being proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Magistrate said the court was satisfied with the progress of investigations so far and ordered the case to be taken up again on May 6 at 2.00 p.m., directing that the suspect currently in detention be produced before the court.
COLOMBO (News 1st)