800 charges against former Def Sec, IGP-by Dilshan Tharaka

Source:Dailynews

Attorney General Dappula de Livera had exhibited information comprising 800 charges in the Colombo High Court for the two separate trials of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando for offences of murder and attempted murder, for their serious lapses and grave omissions to prevent Easter Sunday bomb attacks on April 21, 2019.

Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said that the Attorney General has also requested the Chief Justice to appoint two separate Trials-at-Bar to try these cases.

The Attorney General displayed information in the Colombo High Court against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando on the basis of accountability of murder and attempted murder under sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks that took place on April 21, 2019 due to ignoring the sensitive intelligence provided by State Intelligence Service Director Nilantha Jayawardena that Zahran Hashim and his group had organized and prepared to carry out suicide bombings targeting religious places and hotels between April 07, 2019 and April 21, 2019 and completely failing to act on the intelligence.

The Attorney General displayed information in the Colombo High Court on charges of failing to prevent Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving enough information to prevent the attacks and alleging that 275 people had died and nearly 500 had been injured as a result of failing to prevent the attacks on charges of murder and attempted murder under sections 296 and 300 of the Penal Code.