Suresh Sallay was named in court as the alleged Easter attack mastermind as CID revealed new claims from Asad Moulana’s France statement.
Suresh Sallay was named in court as the alleged mastermind of the Easter attack during a hearing before Colombo Fort Magistrate Prasan Amarasekara today.
The case involving the former head of the State Intelligence Service, who is currently being held under detention orders issued under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, was taken up before court on May 20.
Sallay, who remains in custody, was produced before court by the Criminal Investigation Department under tight security.
Additional Solicitor General Dileep Peiris, appearing for the CID, presented the progress of the investigation to court and said a lengthy 14-page report was being submitted.
He told court that the report marked a turning point in the investigation.
According to the Additional Solicitor General, a statement had been recorded in France from Asad Moulana, who previously made disclosures to Channel 4 regarding the Easter Sunday attacks.
He said a team of officers, including CID Director Shani Abeysekara, had travelled to France and recorded the statement at the official residence of the Sri Lankan ambassador.
Peiris told court that Moulana had given a detailed account of the Easter attack.
He said that, according to the statement, it was clear that Tuwan Suresh Sallay had allegedly acted as the mastermind of the attack.
He further submitted that the attack had been carried out to fulfill a political need.
Presenting further facts, the Additional Solicitor General referred to a conflict at Aleyar junction, after which a member of Zahran Hashim’s group named Seini Moulavi was imprisoned.
He said Seini Moulavi and Pilleiyan had been held in the same prison cell.
According to the submission, Seini Moulavi had told Pilleiyan that there was a group in their organisation ready to die.
Peiris told court that this information later came to the knowledge of suspect Suresh Sallay, who allegedly made arrangements to use those willing to die.
He said this was how Seini, Sallay, and Pilleiyan became connected.
The Additional Solicitor General also submitted that six individuals, including the late Zahran Hashim, who were to carry out a suicide attack, had met and held discussions with Suresh Sallay in Puttalam.
He further told court that at the time of the Easter attack, suspect Suresh Sallay had made a telephone call to Asad Moulana.
According to Peiris, Sallay had asked Moulana to go near the Taj Samudra and take a person from there.
He said Sallay had also instructed him to take possession of that person’s phone.
That person, he said, was Jameel, who later exploded a bomb in Dehiwala.
Peiris further said Varuna Jayasundara had stated that the bomber named Jameel was an innocent person.
He told court that the officer named Varuna Jayasundara is also being investigated.
The Additional Solicitor General then submitted that after the attack, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, and Namal Rajapaksa had gone to Batticaloa prison and met Pilleiyan.
He said they had allegedly informed Pilleiyan that Gotabaya Rajapaksa would release him within a week of becoming President.
Peiris said Gotabaya Rajapaksa later became President and that Suresh Sallay , who had served as the head of military intelligence, was then appointed head of the entire State Intelligence Service.
He submitted that this was done to prevent intelligence information from reaching other divisions.
The court was further told that after Seini Moulavi was remanded, Rs. 250,000 had been spent to secure bail for him.
Peiris alleged that the money had been paid by military intelligence.
He said public funds had been spent to protect suicide bombers.
According to the Additional Solicitor General, this was allegedly done to prevent information linked to extremist activities from being revealed before the election, which was six months away.
He submitted that Pilleiyan’s group and military intelligence had worked together.
Peiris said they had not done so for national security, but allegedly to take revenge on political opponents and carry out assassinations.
He further submitted that Asad Moulana’s statement had revealed crimes allegedly committed jointly by Pilleiyan’s group and military intelligence.
He said these groups had allegedly been involved in incidents including the abduction of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, the assault on Keith Noyar, the assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunga, and the assault on Upali Tennakoon.
The court was also told that more than twenty members of Pilleiyan’s group had been paid salaries by military intelligence.
Peiris said this had not been done for state security, but to carry out political contracts.
He added that he had informed the Army Commander in writing to take steps to prevent such activities.
He warned that if such activities continued, the Army Commander may also have to be brought before court as a suspect for concealing information.
The Additional Solicitor General also said that after the Easter attack, Asad Moulana’s family had been brought to a hotel in Ahungalla.
He alleged that this had been done by Suresh Sallay .
He further said there had also been a reference to providing an embassy job.
Peiris told court that investigators had obtained all entries from the hotel’s logbooks.
The Additional Solicitor General strongly objected to producing Suresh Sallay before court while he remains in remand custody.
He said Sallay’s life was under threat and argued that court proceedings should not become a platform for him.
Peiris also told court that people were mysteriously dying these days.
He requested that the previous Magistrate’s order to produce the suspect in court be revoked.
The court was also informed that Sallay had requested permission to make a statement before the Magistrate under Section 127 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Peiris argued that this was an attempt to sabotage the investigation.
He said an organized group wanted to sabotage and stop the investigation.
“There is no doubt. Suresh Sallay is the main planet of the Easter attack. The other planets have revolved around him,” the Additional Solicitor General told court.
He said investigators were also probing on whose behalf Sallay allegedly acted.
Peiris further stated that after investigations are completed, steps would be taken to bring the main persons responsible before the law.
He told court that before the Easter attack, there had been preparations to carry out an attack centered around a military group in the Northern Province.
He also said there had been a plan to carry out mass murder in the South.
According to the Additional Solicitor General, those plans were later abandoned and steps were taken to carry out the Easter Sunday attack.
He submitted that the act had been carried out under the direction of suspect Suresh Sallay , targeting an election due in six months.
President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando, appearing for Suresh v , then presented arguments on behalf of the suspect.
He said the complaint repeatedly referred to a statement recorded from Asad Moulana in France.
However, he argued that the contents of that statement could not be accepted as evidence unless they were tested through cross-examination and challenged in court.
He also referred to Moulana’s earlier statement to Channel 4.
Fernando said that if inquiries were made about Channel 4 in Britain, it would be known as a channel with no credibility whatsoever.
He also referred to complaints by the Additional Solicitor General that the defence had obtained copies of statements given by several witnesses to the Magistrate under Section 127 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Fernando questioned why the defence could not obtain such statements if the CID could access them.
He further objected to claims that the legal access of suspects was not being monitored.
He said he regretted that statement, calling it a violation of lawyers’ privileges.
Fernando said such a request by the Attorney General would have to be noted as a deprivation of the fundamental rights of lawyers.
He told court that his client’s life was in a “kill or be killed” situation.
He also said Sallay had previously requested permission to make a statement to the Magistrate.
According to Fernando, the previous Magistrate had said a reply would be given after consideration.
He informed court that his client had instructed him to state that he wished to make a statement.
Fernando requested that the recording of that statement begin today itself.
President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne, appearing for those affected by the bomb attacks, including Cardinal His Eminence Malcolm Ranjith, submitted that it was not appropriate to produce the suspect before court while he remains under detention orders.
After considering the submissions made by all parties, the Magistrate announced that the order on the prosecution’s request not to produce Suresh Sallay before court would be delivered on July 01.
The Magistrate also said the order on Sallay’s request to make a statement before the Magistrate under Section 127 of the Criminal Procedure Code would be delivered on the same day.
Until then, the Magistrate ordered the CID to keep the suspect under detention orders and produce him before court on the next date.
