Speaking on the fourth anniversary of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has highlighted government’s failures, cover-ups and
questioned investigations into the series of bombings in April 2019.
The Cardinal was addressing a commemorative mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade yesterday (21).
He asked whether there had been any investigation into the possible dealings between intelligence agencies and Zahran Hashim’s National Thowheed Jamath.
The cardinal said that a presidential commission of inquiry has revealed that intelligence agencies had been aware of the seventh bomber, Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed.
“He went to the Taj Samudra Hotel, and came out without detonating the bomb for some reason. Intelligence agencies even went to his house and spoke to his wife. That means intelligence agencies knew him well. Why wasn’t he arrested? Why was he allowed to take his own life? He was seen walking about in Dehiwala for hours. Did he blow himself up or was the bomb detonated by remote control?” he asked.
“If he had been arrested and questioned, a lot of information could have been ascertained. Why wasn’t he arrested?”
The attacks had been carried out by Islamic extremists but it was possible that there had been a political conspiracy behind the carnage, he said.
The attacks killed more than 260 people and injured at least 500 on Easter Sunday 2019.
Cardinal Ranjith said he has no faith in the country's leadership in securing justice for the victims.
"We are awake until justice is done," he stressed.
