Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader and lawyer Udaya Gammanpila has raised serious concerns over alleged political interference in Sri Lanka’s intelligence sector, claiming that key appointments are being manipulated to weaken national security. Speaking at a press conference at the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya headquarters today (March 3), Gammanpila warned that the intelligence sector is being dismantled and mismanaged, putting the country at risk.
He emphasized that intelligence services act as the eyes and ears of a nation, and without a strong intelligence network, the country becomes blind and deaf to emerging threats. Drawing a parallel to the 2019 Easter attacks, he argued that Sri Lanka remained unaware of the warnings issued by Indian intelligence due to the crippling of the country’s intelligence operations in 2015.
According to Gammanpila, the current administration is removing senior intelligence officers and replacing them with less experienced individuals, allegedly due to political influence. He criticized the appointment of Colonel Neville Attanayake, a junior officer with multiple disciplinary charges, as Director of Intelligence, while 13 senior intelligence officers have been removed or reassigned to non-relevant roles.
The removals include Brigadier Chandika Mahathanthila, who was sidelined without new responsibilities, and Brigadier Prabodha Siriwardena, who was reassigned to a military band. Other officers, such as Brigadier Shiran Amit, Brigadier Priyalal, and Brigadier Kumara, were moved to rehabilitation, disaster management, and project officer positions, respectively. Meanwhile, senior colonels were sent to unrelated divisions, including defense colleges, staff training centers, and research divisions, further disrupting the intelligence network.
Gammanpila also highlighted the appointment of Major General Deeptha Ariyasena as Intelligence Director, despite his background in mechanical engineering rather than intelligence operations. He alleged that Ariyasena’s selection was politically motivated, as he had publicly expressed support for the government on social media.
Expressing concern over the intelligence unit’s rapid restructuring, Gammanpila warned that such mismanagement jeopardizes national security. He noted that intelligence officers rely on trusted informants, and sudden, politically driven changes could discourage sources from providing crucial information, further weakening Sri Lanka’s ability to prevent future threats.
Asserting that the government’s actions could lead to a national security disaster, he cautioned that Sri Lanka might once again face a decade-long search for answers following another crisis. Gammanpila urged the administration to halt politically motivated changes in the intelligence sector before it is too late.
