Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church has raised concerns over Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara potentially influencing the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Catholic Church has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the government to take appropriate action to safeguard the integrity of these sensitive inquiries.
Opposition parliamentarians have also urged Jayasekara’s removal, highlighting his position as Eastern Commander of the army at the time of the attacks as a conflict of interest that may compromise the investigation’s independence.
Commenting to The Daily Morning, Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, spokesperson for Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, reiterated the Church’s stance.
“The investigations are conducted by the Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the Ministry of Public Security, not under his ministry. Nevertheless, his continued role as Deputy Minister could still influence the process,” he said.
Leave a comment