Easter attacks death sentences saw Pujith Jayasundara and Hemasiri Fernando transferred to Welikada Prison after a split verdict.
The Easter attacks death sentences imposed on former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were followed by their transfer to Welikada Prison under heavy security.
The Colombo Permanent Three-Judge High Court delivered the sentences yesterday after finding both men guilty of failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings despite receiving prior intelligence.
The court convicted them on charges including dereliction of duty and abetting manslaughter.
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Split verdict leads to death sentences
The case came before a three-judge bench comprising Chairman Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Weerasuriya and Thilakarathna Bandara.
Justices Priyantha Liyanage and Thilakarathna Bandara formed the majority and sentenced both accused to death.
However, Justice Viraj Weerasuriya delivered a dissenting judgment. He found that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt and concluded that both men should be acquitted.
The Attorney General had filed 855 charges against Jayasundara and Fernando over the deaths of 268 people and injuries to more than 500 others.
The charges arose from their alleged failure to act on warnings before the Easter Sunday attacks.
Supreme Court ordered a new hearing
On February 18, 2022, an earlier High Court bench acquitted both accused without calling for a defence.
That bench comprised Justices Namal Balalle, Mohamed Irshadeen and Adithya Patabendige.
The earlier decision referred to alleged failures by then-State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena to provide adequate intelligence.
However, the Attorney General appealed against those acquittals.
On November 5, 2024, a five-judge Supreme Court bench ruled that the High Court decision was invalid. It ordered the case to resume after calling for a defence.
The three-judge High Court subsequently reheard the cases and delivered the latest verdicts.
In its majority judgment, the court noted that intelligence had reached the two senior officials on the evening of April 20, 2019.
The information reportedly included written warnings and WhatsApp messages about possible attacks.
However, the court found that neither official convened the tri-forces or intelligence agencies. They also failed to introduce the preventive measures required by the threat, according to the majority ruling.
Easter attacks death sentences followed by prison transfer
After the court announced the verdicts, authorities placed Jayasundara and Fernando aboard a prison bus.
Officials transported them to Welikada Prison under heavy security last night.
The Prison Department then registered both former officials as prisoners.
They received the standard prison uniform, commonly known as a jumper, before officials placed them in a special ward within the prison.
The verdict marks the first reported instance in Sri Lankan judicial history in which a former Defence Secretary and a former Police Chief received death sentences on manslaughter-related charges.
The Easter attacks death sentences bring a decisive legal outcome seven years after the bombings, following earlier acquittals, a Supreme Court intervention and a complete rehearing of the cases.
