Security expert Professor Rohan Gunaratne warns that the arrest of former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay undermines national security, challenges international investigative findings, and risks politicising the Easter Sunday terror probe.
Professor Rohan Gunaratne has strongly criticised the arrest of former State Intelligence Service head General Suresh Sallay, describing it as a grave injustice and a politically driven move that could damage Sri Lanka’s national security framework.
In a public statement, Gunaratne said General Sallay, arrested on February 25, 2026, had devoted his career to safeguarding Sri Lanka. Having led both the State Intelligence Service and the Directorate of Military Intelligence, Sallay served five successive governments over three decades and earned respect within the international intelligence community for his contributions to regional and global security cooperation.
Gunaratne insisted that Sallay had no connection to the April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. He pointed out that at the time of the terror attacks, Sallay was attending the National Defence College in India after completing diplomatic duties at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia. According to Gunaratne, those responsible for the intelligence lapses that led to the Easter Sunday massacre should be scrutinised instead.
He further argued that the arrest is being welcomed by extremist elements and political actors promoting conspiracy theories against the security forces. Citing his book on the Easter Sunday massacre, Gunaratne said his findings align with investigations conducted by the FBI, Interpol, the Australian Federal Police and New Scotland Yard.
He urged Sri Lankan leaders to adopt a bipartisan national security approach and avoid politicising intelligence matters.
