Ali Sabry warns against politicising the arrest

Gammanpila claims move is attempt to divert public attention away from coal scandal   

Former Minister Ali Sabry and former MP Udaya Gammanpila have raised serious concerns over the arrest of the former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief, warning of wider implications for the Sri Lanka Army and its Intelligence Corps.  

Sabry stated that many of the officers who once risked their lives during the country’s most dangerous years now appear to be drawn into what he described as a political battlefield shaped by competing narratives rather than evidence. While acknowledging that accountability under the law is essential in a democracy, he emphasised that it must be pursued with fairness, restraint, and respect for institutional integrity.   

He said national security institutions cannot become collateral damage in political contests.   

“Undermining officers who once safeguarded the country may offer temporary political advantage, but it weakens morale within the armed forces and sends a troubling signal to those tasked with protecting the nation,” he said.   

At the time of the Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April 2019, Sallay held the rank of Brigadier. He later served as Director of Army Intelligence and went on to become the State Intelligence Chief. Most recently, he had been working as an advisor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia.   

Meanwhile, Former MP Udaya Gammanpila has also accused the government of orchestrating a “theatrical performance” by targeting former SIS chief. Gammanpila claims this move is a calculated attempt to divert public attention away from the ongoing coal procurement scandal.  

Gammanpila said that there has long been a desire among “separatist forces” to seek revenge against Sallay due to his decisive role in defeating terrorism. He referenced the 2023 Channel 4 documentary, which alleged Sallay was a mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks, calling it a fabricated narrative designed for political retaliation.  

The former MP further said that the current government rose to power by leveraging these allegations and is now under immense pressure to identify a “mastermind” for the 2019 bombings.  

He said that while there were initial plans to arrest Sallay before the general election, the release of the Alwis Committee report commissioned by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe would have exposed these claims as false   

Gammanpila claimed that the government intended to make an arrest in April to coincide with the anniversary of the attacks. However, he believes the timeline was moved up specifically to shield the administration from the fallout of the coal fraud investigation.