The Court of Appeal yesterday issued notices on several respondents including the Inspector General of Police and the CID Director returnable March 5 in connection with a writ petition filed challenging the inaction by the respondents to investigate undetected and unrecovered swords and other weapons brought into the country before the Easter Sunday attacks.
Court of Appeal President Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere and Justice Mayadunne Corea made this order pursuant to a writ petition filed by Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
Through this petition, Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith is seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Mandamus directing the IGP and CID Director to conduct an inquiry into the import of the several consignments of swords and other weapons into the country, as well as the individuals and entities involved in the incident.
The Cardinal stated that the failure on the part of the respondents has placed in peril the entire nation and the body polity. He further said the foregoing inaction of the respondents are unreasonable, irrational, and are in patent dereliction of their duties, and furthermore, in violation of the legitimate expectation and rights of the citizenry.
The petitioner further alleged that the respondents have failed to apprehend the persons responsible for importing, supplying, distributing and handing out these consignments.
President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena with Counsel Rukshan Senadheera and Manisha Dissanayake appeared for petitioner Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
The petitioner has cited IGP C.D. Wickremaratne, CID Director Nishantha de Zoysa, Defence Secretary General (rtd) Kamal Gunaratne and three others as respondents.
The Cardinal states according to information received by him, a company by the name of ‘Sherwood’ (“Samagama”), had imported as many as 6,000 swords. Of such numbers, 600 swords were purchased by an individual by the name of Mohomed Shifas Saththar, for a sum of Rs. 400,000. The money for the purchase of such swords had been granted by Mohomad Ibrahim Inshaf, who was the suicide bomber who detonated the bomb at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, during the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Cardinal Ranjith states that as per the aforementioned information, such swords, which are of a Chinese make, were distributed among 35 individuals, who have since been arrested, and of whom 13 are Moulavis. The Cardinal states that such information elucidates the fact that 132 swords have been found by the police, and that there are inquiries into the recovery of the remainder of 5,400 swords. The Archbishop states that the logical inference one may draw from the above, is that the Respondents are unaware of the whereabouts of the said 5,400 swords and that the same are still with the members of the public.
