No direct IS link to Easter Sunday attack, says top official

Thursday, 25 July 2019 01:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

PSC told that investigations have unearthed no direct IS links
Two main suspects of Mawanella vandalism linked to Zahran on 26 Jan.
Says IGP notified immediately, but does not know if info was conveyed to SIS
SDIG not invited for National Security Council meetings since mid-Dec. 2018

By Ashwin Hemmathagama

Testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) Senior Deputy Inspector General Ravi Seneviratne yesterday rejected any direct links to the Islamic State in the Easter Sunday attacks.

Senior Deputy Inspector General Ravi Seneviratne

Highlighting the importance of fresh investigations, now underway to determine the reason action was not taken to avoid the attack, based on foreign and local intelligence reports, he said: “We have no proof to relate the attacks to Islamic State.”

“In May 2018, the IGP informed me of the incident of destroying Buddha statues in Mawanella. He requested a team of CID officers be deployed for investigations. So, we identified the two main characters, Saadiq and Saajid. We followed them and searched for their whereabouts. We had information that they engaged in covert activities. On 26 January, this year we found that Saadiq and Saajid had links with Zahran,” he explained, moving into responding to questions raised by the members of the Select Committee.

According to Seneviratne, the Police were able to link the killing of two policemen to Zahran after the 21 April attacks. “I informed of the IGP of Zahran, and warned that this person could lead to dangerous incidents. I have no information whether IGP has conveyed that to the State Intelligence Service (SIS). But the matter was taken up at intelligence review meetings. SIS provided their information to us. I attend the National Security Council (NSC) only if I am invited. I did not receive any invitation after mid-December 2018. Thereafter, I was not invited till the Easter Sunday incident. Thereafter I was summoned to the NSC,” he added. (AH)

No evidence to back any allegation against Dr. Shafi