National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim, who carried out the suicide bomb at the Kingsbury Hotel in the series of attacks on Easter Sunday 2019, is not a newly created icon after attacks, everyone is aware of his history, evolution, everything including his rise before attacks.
Former National Intelligence Chief, SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena said this while testifying before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday.
He was appearing as the first witness in two cases filed by the Attorney General in the Colombo High Court against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara for failing to take proper action in connection with the series of Easter Sunday terror attacks that took place on April 21 in 2019.
His testimony was yesterday concluded by the prosecution and cross-examination by the defence began yesterday.
Testifying further Jayawardena said that State intelligence Service had produced several reports including the incidents of discovering explosives from Wanathawilluwa area and test explosion carried out by Zahran Hashim and other suicide bombers at the Kaththankudi area in 2019. He said that the intelligence unit had uncovered many facts about him even before the attacks and had forwarded those reports to the relevant sections. “Therefore, everyone knew about Zaharan,” he added. He said it was not his fault if anyone did not know about him.
The two cases were taken up before a bench comprising Colombo High Court Judges Namal Balalle, Aditya Patabendige and Mohamed Irshadeen yesterday.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris and Deputy Solicitor General Sudharshana de Silva appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.
The cases will be taken up again today (26) for further trial.
Two separate indictments comprising 855 separate charges against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were filed by the Attorney General in the Colombo High Court on May 3.
The Attorney General filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando on the basis of accountability of murder and attempted murder under sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks that took place on April 21, 2019 due to ignoring the sensitive intelligence provided by State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena that Zahran Hashim and his group had organized and prepared to carry out suicide bombings targeting religious places and hotels between April 07, 2019 and April 21, 2019 and completely failing to act on the intelligence.
The Attorney General had indicted them on charges of failing to prevent Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving enough information to prevent attack and alleging that 275 people had died and nearly 500 had been injured as a result of failing to prevent the attacks on charges of murder and attempted murder under sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code.
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