Udaya Gammanpila, a lawyer and Colombo District candidate for the Sarvajana Balaya, expressed strong criticism against the government’s recent dismissal of investigative reports on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. During a press conference in Pitakotta, Gammanpila alleged that the government’s actions are aimed at protecting high-profile individuals linked to the Easter attacks investigation, including figures named as Ibrahim, Ravi, and Shani.
Gammanpila, who leads the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, pointed out that the recent rejection of both the Alvis and Imam committee reports raised questions about the government’s commitment to transparency and justice. He criticized Minister Vijitha Herath, the government’s media spokesperson, for dismissing the Imam Committee’s findings without a clear basis, claiming that Herath falsely justified the rejection of the Alvis report by implying misconduct by the committee chairperson. According to Gammanpila, the minister provided no evidence to support his claims and remained silent on further accusations.
Additionally, Gammanpila questioned why concerns about the committee members’ credibility were only raised after the reports were submitted. He argued that objections should have been made at the time of the committee’s formation, rather than now, when the findings appear unfavorable to the government. He emphasized that only the Court of Appeal holds the power to reject these reports, not government officials via press statements.
The opposition figure further accused the government of attempting to shield specific individuals involved in the Easter Sunday attacks investigation, particularly Mohammed Ibrahim, a key suspect in the case. Gammanpila warned that the public would recognize and reject these alleged attempts to undermine the judicial process, urging citizens to hold the administration accountable for what he described as a betrayal of their promise to establish the rule of law.
