Harin’s father was contacted by CID officer day before Easter attacks

A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer who was attached to several major investigations into Islamic extremism had taken a six minute phone call to MP Harin Fernando's father Nihal Fernando on April 20, 2019 and had probably warned him about the following day's coordinated terror attack, it was informed on Wednesday to PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks.

MP Fernando's father was in the ICU of Nawaloka Hospital when he received the call and after the call he had informed his daughter not to attend Easter Sunday mass.

It was informed at the Commission that around 8.12 pm on April 20, 2019, CID officer Sergeant Nandalal had taken a call to the MP's father.

Nandalal was involved in the investigations into vandalizing Buddha statues in Mawanella, Wanathawilluwa explosives raid, the search conducted to locate the van that transported explosives to Wanathawilluwa and the questioning of National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) physical trainer Army Mohideen.

Representative from the Attorney General's Department(AG) then questioned the witness, whether he knew anything about the particular CID officer Nandalal. MP Fernando said that he was not aware of an officer named Nandalal.

"Was your father in contact with the CID?" the AG's representative questioned the MP. In response, MP Fernando said that his father was a victim of a financial fraud case and due that he was in contact with the CID. (Yoshitha Perera)