SC gives until 30 Aug. but Maithri wants six more years to pay up Easter Sunday compensation 

The Supreme Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena and several others to complete the payment of compensation to the Easter Sunday attack victims by 30 August 2024.

The order was handed down to Sirisena, former Police Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara and former State Intelligence Service Head Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena. 

The Supreme Court has also ruled that if the compensation is not paid by the specified date, former President Sirisena and others will be charged with contempt of court by 20 September.  Sirisena through his counsels informed the Supreme Court that out of the Rs. 100 million compensation set to be paid in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attack, Rs. 58 million has been paid to the Reparations office to date.  Accordingly, the former President requested, through his lawyers, an extension of six years to pay the remaining amount. In January 2023, the Supreme Court ordered Sirisena to pay compensation to the victims after he along with several other top officials were found responsible for failing to prevent the bombings despite receiving intelligence reports about an impending attack. Accordingly, Sirisena was ordered to pay Rs. 100 million while Jayasundara and Jayawardena were ordered to pay Rs. 75 million to the victims.

At the time the Former President was given six months to make the payment. He has however requested for repeated extensions claiming income only consisted of a pension of Rs. 97 500 as the former President, alongside a sum of Rs. 54 285 for his services as a Member of Parliament.