9 July 2020 06:44 am
Testifying before the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks, Former Director of Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) Nalaka de Silva yesterday said the previous government showed reluctance to use Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to prosecute alleged terrorists.
De Silva claimed that they had more than enough evidence against those who were behind formation of ISIS affiliated groups by 2017. However, he said the TID went through difficulties is taking action against the groups because the previous government showed reluctance to use Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to prosecute alleged terrorists.
According to the testimony of De Silva, he had sent 87 reports to former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara on the rise of Islamic extremism since March 2017 and IGP had instructed him to arrest Zahran. (Yoshitha Perera)