Police arrest six suspects linked to Easter Sunday bombings

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday arrested six persons including Riyad Bathiudeen, brother of former minister Rishad Bathiudeen, in relation to ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings last year.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Information Department yesterday, Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senarathna explained that the investigations into the bombings were now being conducted by a team of specialists who were under the direct purview of the DIG in charge of the CID.

A lawyer and a Customs officer are among those arrested by the CID, SP Senarathna told the Daily FT. “The suspects are detained under a 90 day detention order are held under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),” he added.

“Riyad Bathiudeen has been directly in touch with one of the suicide bombers, information we have gathered point to Mr. Riyad Bathiudeen meeting the said suicide bomber at a well-known hotel on a date close to the bombings.” SP Senarathna stated, pointing out that Bathiudeen had also worked closely with the suicide bomber to establish several organisations and held office in some of them.

“We have found evidence that some of the suicide bombers had invested in the said organisations and some had donated land to them,” he added, highlighting the that investigation was a complex one and that the police was chasing every lead to unravel who organised and supported the Easter Sunday bombings.

Responding to a question, SP Senarathna stated that the lawyer who has been taken into custody is believed to have been in close contact with two suicide bombers and held office with some of them in several organisations.

SP Senarathna said that the Police will produce the suspects before a magistrate as soon as possible but did not specify a date citing the complexity of the investigation. The CID are looking into all persons who were in direct contact with the suicide bombers, he stated.

The Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is conducting an internal inquiry into the officers who were handling the Easter Sunday bombings investigations, before the current IGP tasked the new DIG-CID to launch fresh investigations, SP Senarathna told the press. An initial report of the SIU’s findings are expected to be given to the IGP in two weeks.

The CID has taken into custody 119 persons in relation to the Easter Sunday Bombing and are conducting investigations in to their involvement in the terror attack, while the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) had arrested 78 persons in relation to the attack, he said.