Govt. will release Easter Sunday reports at appropriate time – Minister Vijitha Herath

Friday, 18 October 2024 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cabinet Minister Vijitha Herath

Emphasises Govt. decision to publish reports would not be influenced by external pressures or threats
Likens Gammanpila’s actions to “small children slamming toys for attention”; claims he is unbothered by his statements

Cabinet Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said the Government will release the reports related to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks at an appropriate time, dismissing the demands and threats from former MP Udaya Gammanpila.

Speaking to the media in Gampaha, Herath reiterated that the Government, as a responsible body, would not be swayed by external pressures but would carry out its duties properly.

The statement comes amid rising tensions with Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and former Member of Parliament Udaya Gammanpila, who recently declared that he has possession of two unpublished reports on the Easter Sunday attacks. Gammanpila, during a press briefing earlier this week, issued an ultimatum to the Government, saying he would only hand over the reports if it publicly committed to releasing them. Failing that, he vowed to publish the reports himself by 21 October.

“Until the President or Government Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath guarantees the publication of these reports, I am not prepared to hand them over,” Gammanpila asserted during a press briefing. He expressed his distrust of the Government’s intentions, questioning what might happen if the reports were handed over but never made public.

In response to Gammanpila’s ultimatum, Minister Herath dismissed the former MP’s actions, likening them to “small children slamming down toys to get attention.” He made it clear that he was unbothered by Gammanpila’s threats or statements, emphasising that the Government would release the reports when deemed appropriate and not due to pressure.

Herath also addressed the ultimatum issued by Gammanpila, wherein the former MP has threatened to release the confidential reports if the Government does not commit within seven days. Herath’s comments suggest that the Government will not yield to such tactics, reiterating that the process will unfold according to the Government’s timeline, not external demands.