Easter Sunday Probe Retired judge alerted Mangala, Sagala on radicalised young man

• One of his school teachers informed him in 2016 that her son had been  attracted to Islamic extremist practices and pledged to support ISIS

By Yoshitha Perera   

Retired Appeal Court judge M.M. Abdul Gafoor and several Muslim leaders met with former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sagala Ratnayaka in 2016 and alerted them about a young man who vowed to support the ISIS, it was informed at the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks yesterday.   

Gafoor informed the Commission that one of his school teachers called him in 2016 and said her son had been attracted to Islamic extremist practices and pledged to support ISIS. “She told me that once she advised her son, he had threatened to kill her,” the witness informed the Commission.   

The witness said that he decided to meet a politician while being a serving judge because of the gravity of the situation.   

Gafoor added that Minister Samaraweera called Minister Sagala Ratnayaka, who was then Law and Order Minister, and set an appointment.   

“When we met Ratnayaka he was interested with the issue and told us they will take immediate action,” the witness said.   However, there was no further action taken at the proper time but later after Easter Sunday attacks, the particular young man was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department, Gafoor informed the Commission.