Easter Sunday attacks: Supreme Court orders Maithripala and three others to submit reports on assets

The Supreme Court yesterday ordered four respondents in fundamental rights (FR) petitions filed in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings to reveal their assets and liabilities in affidavits submitted on or before 30 December 2023.Accordingly, former President and MP Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Jayawardena were instructed to declare their assets and liabilities during the period 19 April 2019 to 2 November 2023.

The Supreme Court issued the ruling after observing that the defendants failed to pay the complete sum of compensation requested. The court also dropped the lawsuit against former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis after he paid the full amount of Rs. 10 million as compensation.

Additionally, the judge bench ordered to submit an all-inclusive report on the payments made by the four respondents to the Attorney General before 30 December 2023. The four respondents have been granted time till 30 June 2024 to pay the compensation. 

The Supreme Court also directed to submit a comprehensive report to the Attorney General on the disciplinary action taken against former SIS Chief Jayawardena before 30 December 2023. On 12 January 2023, the Supreme Court found that former President Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Fernando, former IGP Jayasundara, former National Intelligence Chief Mendis and former SIS Chief Jayawardena had violated the fundamental rights of the people by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings despite receiving sufficient intelligence information.

In its verdict, the judge bench had ordered Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the petitioners from his personal money, while Pujith Jayasundara and Nilantha Jayawardena were each ordered to pay Rs. 75 million. In addition, Hemasiri Fernando and Sisira Mendis were ordered to pay Rs. 50 million and Rs. 10 million, respectively.

The order was delivered by a seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench, with regard to 12 petitions filed by various parties stating that their fundamental rights were violated by negligence and failure to prevent the coordinated terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.

Sirisena had also filed a motion via his lawyers requesting that he be allowed to pay the remaining amount in 10 years, i.e. to pay Rs. 5 million annually as the remainder of the Rs. 100 million. The case is scheduled for review on 15 July 2024.