The release of a controversial probe report regarding the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks has ignited a public dispute between the Sri Lankan government and the Catholic Church, with both sides presenting conflicting narratives about the findings.
Minister Vijitha Herath, acting as the cabinet spokesman, addressed the media to clarify the government’s stance. He asserted that the report, prepared by a Presidential Committee and issued by former lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila, is not classified, countering claims made by the Catholic Church that it was received as a top-secret document last September.
In a related public event at the BMICH a few weeks ago, Father Siril Gamini, the spokesman for the Cardinal, urged the government to release all reports regarding the attacks, stating that the Church is unaware of any new reports. However, during a press conference today, both Catholic leaders, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and Father Gamini, reaffirmed that they received the report in September 2024. They noted that the report detailing allegations against military intelligence, featured in a Channel 4 documentary, has yet to be disclosed.
Despite their disagreements, both the government and the Catholic Church have expressed skepticism toward the report, which was led by a retired judge. However, neither side has provided substantial commentary on the report’s content, which scrutinizes the failures in the country’s intelligence and investigative apparatus.
Herath dismissed recommendations in the report as “baseless,” reaffirming that two senior retired police officers implicated in the findings would remain in their positions. Contrarily, the report, compiled by a committee headed by retired Justice A.N.J. de Alwis, has called for criminal charges against retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Ravi Seneviratne, who was in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) during the time of the attacks.
According to Gammanpila, the Alwis Committee’s investigation revealed that Seneviratne failed to act on critical intelligence that could have prevented the tragic events of April 2019. He highlighted that Seneviratne had been informed about impending threats but neglected to forward crucial warnings to his acting deputy while he was out of the country.
“The crucial letter warning of the attacks lay unopened on Seneviratne’s desk for nearly 12 days,” Gammanpila said. “How can justice be served if the person responsible for dereliction of duty is supervising the investigation?”
The Alwis Committee also recommended legal or disciplinary action against 17 officers involved in the case. Gammanpila urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate action, warning that the People’s Front (PHU) would pursue an impeachment motion if necessary.
As the controversy unfolds, Seneviratne, now overseeing the department investigating the attacks, dismissed Gammanpila’s claims, stating, “Anyone can say anything. We are not concerned about what Gammanpila says. Let the people decide.”
