SIS maintained middle path: Ex-SIS director

When sharing intelligence with the previous yahapalana government the State Intelligence Service maintained a middle path, State Intelligence Service (SIS), former SDIG of the Eastern Province and a former SIS Director, Nilantha Jayawardena informed the Commission probing the Easter Sunday attacks.

He told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) the previous government consisted of two major political parties and there had to be a middle path when sharing information with such a government.

"Former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are two powerful politicians representing two major political parties in the country," he said.

When Commissioners questioned Mr. Jayawardena's relationship with the former president, the witness said there was no reason to maintain an unpleasant relationship with a president in the country.

When asked about his relationship with Mr. Wickremesinghe the witness said he had shared the reports with Mr. Wickremesinghe through former Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake and added that he had friendly working relationship with all defense secretaries and with the former IGP Pujith Jayasundara.

When Commissioners asked the witness about his working relationship with the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), he said he observed that the DMI usually inquired about matters pertaining to the LTTE.

When they questioned Mr. Jayawardena on his working relationship with former TID Director, DIG Nalaka de Silva, the witness said there were lot of issues with the former TID Director and would explain it in camera.(Yoshitha Perera)