INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
documentary that the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks were deliberately orchestrated by senior governmental officials.In a statement, the
reiterated that the terrorists involved in the Easter Sunday attacks, in which the lives of more than 260 people were and hundreds of others
straightforward allegations about the attacks based on testimonies of high-placed whistleblowers who alleged that governmental officials
(TMVP) led by current State Minister of Rural Road Development Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan.Maulana told Channel 4 that he
had witnessed a meeting between the suicide bombers and a top Sri Lankan intelligence officer in 2018.Claiming that he had, on the
directives of Pillayan, arranged the said meeting between then-army intelligence chief Major General Suresh Sallay and the National Thowheed
Jamaath (NTJ) members including its leader Zahran Hashim, Maulana said the plot to create insecurity in the country to pave way for former
president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to win the presidential election later in 2019 was hatched over 2-3 years.Meanwhile, former President Gotabaya
face of a heinous and merciless assault that shook the world - the Easter Sunday Attack of 2019 - which claimed the lives of nearly 270
innocent souls, including children and foreigners, Sri Lanka and the International Community watched in horror
In the wake of this catastrophe, the Sri Lankan Government, its Law Enforcement Agencies, Security Forces and international investigation
agencies launched exhaustive investigations
Over the years, these investigations, both local and international, have consistently pointed to ISIS-affiliated group members led by Zahran
Hashim as the architects of this horrifying tragedy.However, it is with unwavering resolution and an unyielding commitment to the truth that
the Ministry of Defence wishes to respond to the recent documentary produced by British Channel 4 television cooperation on 5th September
This documentary audaciously shifts the blame of the Easter Sunday Attack onto Military Intelligence and Major General Suresh Sallay, the
present Director General of the State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka.The Ministry of Defence vehemently denounces the accusation of
orchestrating the attack and assisting the bombers against a dedicated senior military officer who has served the nation for 36 years
Major General Suresh Sallay served at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Malaysia as Minister-Counsellor from December 2016 until December
He left for India on 3rd January 2019 and returned to Sri Lanka on 30th November 2019 after completing the National Defence College Course
This officer was never in Sri Lanka during the period mentioned in the Channel 4 video documentary
Furthermore, during the said period (December 2016 to November 2019), this officer was not employed in the Intelligence and Security
Apparatus of the country, nor did he hold any official responsibilities in those fields
The Ministry of Defence also reiterates that no terrorists involved in the Easter Sunday attack have ever been on the government payroll
Therefore, the Ministry of Defence categorically refutes these outrageous allegations and expresses profound dismay at Channel 4 for
promulgating such a malicious and unsubstantiated narrative.In the wake of the Easter Sunday Attack, successive Sri Lankan governments have
demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth
They have done so by facilitating transparent investigations conducted by both local and international professional agencies
These investigations including the meticulous work of the Criminal Investigation Department, Counter Terrorist Investigation Division and
the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), have consistently corroborated the responsibility of the radical extremist group for the
Additionally, the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has played a pivotal role in proposing measures to bolster national
security.Moreover, it is imperative to underline that the comprehensive investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, along with the subsequent verdict rendered by the US Department of
Justice, have reaffirmed the findings of local investigations
This resounding endorsement from an international investigative agency further substantiates the accuracy and integrity of the
Sri Lankan society by sowing seeds of discord but also shamelessly jeopardizes the reputation and safety of those who have resolutely upheld
their integrity and responsibility.While the Ministry of Defence respects the freedom of expression and upholds the significance of
investigative journalism, the Ministry of Defence emphatically asserts that Channel 4 will be held unequivocally accountable for any
unforeseen actions or repercussions stemming from their unfounded, malevolent, and poorly substantiated claims made in the video documentary
On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence hereby categorically refutes these false allegations and reiterates the
