Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Udaya Gammanpila has accused the current government of attempting to shift blame for the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks onto ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former intelligence chief Major General Suresh Sallay, in a bid to protect individuals allegedly responsible within its own ranks.
Speaking at a media briefing on 3 February, Gammanpila claimed that after the National People’s Power (NPP) government took power, it refuted allegations made by Channel 4 using the Imam report.
However, after that effort failed, the government allegedly began fabricating a new narrative to justify the arrest of Rajapaksa and Sallay.
Gammanpila argued that the NPP government came to power by promising to expose the mastermind behind the devastating 2019 Easter attacks, which killed over 269 people and injured more than 500.
However, since the alleged perpetrators are within the government itself, Gammanpila asserted that authorities are diverting attention to Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan intelligence agencies.
He claimed that this “new script” falsely suggests that the attacks were orchestrated to boost Rajapaksa’s chances in the 2019 presidential election.
He also accused the government of using the testimony of Azad Maulana, who sought asylum in Switzerland and had allegedly provided false information to Channel 4 about the attacks.
Gammanpila revealed that Maulana’s second wife, Fatima Jesli Benazir, filed a complaint against him for entering into a fraudulent marriage under a false name.
Following this, a travel ban was imposed on Maulana. However, on 21 January 2025, the ban was lifted, allowing Maulana to give a statement favorable to the government.
Gammanpila criticized the decision to bring Maulana back to Sri Lanka despite his involvement in fraudulent activities, warning that his party would not remain silent if the charges were waived in exchange for statements beneficial to the government.
He demanded clarity from the government’s media spokesperson, the Inspector General of Police, and the police on who influenced Maulana’s travel ban being lifted and whether Maulana will face investigation for other alleged crimes.
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