Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, has dismissed the ongoing investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into his alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, calling it a politically motivated attack. The CID is investigating his name’s mention in the controversial Channel 4 documentary that aired in September 2023, which alleged that some Sri Lankan government officials were complicit in the bombings.
In a statement to the media, Pillayan emphasized that the CID’s investigation is driven by political vendettas rather than credible evidence, accusing government agencies of working under the whims of political interests. He voiced regret that a key state institution was following unsubstantiated allegations, which he insists are politically engineered.
Pillayan had previously appeared before the CID to provide a statement on the matter and confirmed that he had asked to give his statement in Tamil. On his second visit to the CID, Pillayan reiterated that the allegations against him were false. During his first meeting, which lasted five hours, he offered to provide the necessary details, but translation arrangements delayed the follow-up.
The controversy stems from the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, which claims to have exclusive interviews with high-ranking whistleblowers who allege that several Sri Lankan government officials, including members of Pillayan’s party, were complicit in the Easter Sunday attacks. The most prominent whistleblower in the report, Azad Maulana, a former spokesperson for Pillayan’s party, accused Pillayan and other officials of complicity in the attacks, particularly highlighting a supposed meeting between Zahran Hashim, the mastermind of the bombings, and Suresh Sallay, the head of the State Intelligence Service.
According to Maulana’s testimony, he was present at the meeting and claimed that government officials had prior knowledge of the bombing plot. This accusation, coupled with Maulana’s role as a former member of Pillayan’s party, has become a central focus of the CID’s investigation.
Pillayan has firmly denied any involvement, categorizing the allegations as fabricated. He pointed out that Maulana, who had been a key figure in his party, left Sri Lanka in the previous year due to personal reasons and had formally informed the party of his departure. Pillayan contended that Maulana was simply making these accusations to bolster his asylum application abroad.
The former minister also addressed the political fallout from the allegations, calling for a fair investigation into not only the claims made in the Channel 4 documentary but also the motivations behind Maulana’s testimony. He pointed out that if Maulana’s claims were accurate, it would be essential to investigate his role in spreading false narratives and to examine his personal interests, particularly his pursuit of asylum abroad.
Pillayan’s defense comes at a time when Sri Lanka is grappling with both internal and international scrutiny over the 2019 Easter bombings. While Pillayan maintains his innocence, the case remains a point of contention, with political forces using the investigation to leverage against their rivals. Pillayan has called for the truth to emerge, untainted by political bias, and for the CID to conduct an unbiased and thorough investigation.
