During recent Court of Appeal proceedings, a counsel representing retired Major General Suresh Sallay alleged that an unidentified National Security Council member disregarded warnings about Muslim extremism issued in 2016, three years before the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed hundreds.
A counsel appearing for retired Major General Suresh Sallay told the Court of Appeal on 21 July that the National Security Council disregarded his client's warnings about growing Muslim extremism issued in 2016 while Sallay headed the Directorate of Military Intelligence. The counsel, Sanjeewa Jayawardena, alleged that one senior NSC member objected to these warnings but stopped short of naming the individual. Sallay was subsequently removed from his position and posted to Malaysia before the end of 2016.
The identity of the NSC member in question remains unclear. Jayawardena had previously accused former President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to convene the NSC, leading to security lapses, but his more recent statements suggest he may be referring to a different member. Analysis of NSC composition in 2016 indicates that either Sirisena or Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe could have dismissed such warnings, though the counsel has declined to specify which. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, who served as Defence Secretary at that time, was also aware of circumstances surrounding Sallay's removal.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry that investigated the Easter attacks recommended that the Attorney General institute criminal proceedings against Sirisena for criminal liability in connection with the attacks. However, the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government did not implement the PCoI's recommendations. The Commission also found that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's "lax approach" towards Islamic extremism was a primary reason for the government's failure to take proactive steps against extremism. A Trial-at-Bar recently sentenced former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara to death for failing to prevent the attacks.
The ongoing proceedings have exposed disagreements about accountability, with questions remaining about why specific individuals were not pursued despite PCoI findings. The article notes that various aspects of the investigation, including India's involvement in intelligence sharing and certain investigative decisions, continue to lack clarity.
