Easter Sunday attack: Interim Order issued preventing TID from recording statement from Ex-AG

Tuesday, 25 April 2023 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Interim Order will prevent TID from arresting or obtaining a statement of Ex-AG Dappula de Livera
De Livera has failed to present himself before TID on three separate occasions
TID was seeking to record a statement from him regarding comments he had made on the Easter Sunday attack

The Court of Appeal yesterday issued an interim order preventing the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) from recording a statement from former Attorney General Dappula de Livera. The order also prevents the TID from arresting de Livera. The order was issued based on a writ petition filed by the former Attorney General yesterday against the TID summons issued to him. The Special Police Unit had informed de Livera to present himself before it on the day to provide a statement on a statement he made about the Easter Sunday attack being part of a grand conspiracy after he gave the TID the miss on two previous occasions. The TID had warned it would take legal action against de Livera if he failed to appear before the TID on Monday.

On 19 April, de Livera did not appear before the TID and was instead represented by Attorney at Law Dimitri Abeysekara who presented facts on behalf of the former Attorney General. Once again on 21 April de Livera was a no-show and had informed the TID in writing that he was unable to present himself based on a discussion held with the current Attorney General and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Later he was informed to be present at the TID yesterday or face legal ramifications.

De Livera was summoned to the TID after Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe informed the current Attorney General to instruct the Police to obtain a statement from de Livera on certain comments made by him as the Minister claimed it has given rise to a certain degree of scepticism surrounding the investigations. In May 2021, former Attorney General Dappula de Livera was quoted as saying there is a grand conspiracy behind the 2019 Easter attacks. At the time de Livera noted that the information by the State Intelligence Service with times, targets, places, methods of attacks and other information is clear evidence there was a grand conspiracy in place. Rajapakshe said as the Attorney General at the time de Livera should have summoned the Police and ordered them to conduct further investigations if the level of inquiry was insufficient.