Statements made by various people on Easter attacks are baseless: IGP

Statements made by various people on Easter attacks are baseless: IGP 

While claiming that investigations conducted into statements made by various people on the Easter Sunday attacks had proved to be baseless, IGP C.D. Wickramaratne said those who make such statements would have to face legal action.

Making a special statement, he said various people and groups had expressed various opinions on the Easter Sunday attacks and people connected to it. "For instance, certain people claim that investigations should be completed within certain time period  and groups of people and individuals named by them have organised and committed the attacks," he said.

He said comprehensive investigations were conducted into the content of statements made by certain people and found out that they were baseless and mere statements.

He said people should express facts which could be taken before a court and requested people to provide information to the CID before filing indictments, if they have any.

 He said Easter Sunday attacks carried out by Zaharan Hashim and his group in 2019 was not a single crime planned in a short period of time and that investigation revealed it was well-planned terrorist act.

The IGP said that several incidents that took place before the Easter attack  had to be taken into consideration and it appears to have been a well-planned terrorist act for a long time.

He said investigations into the incident are being carried out in complete secrecy and disclosure of information to the public could be an obstacle to court proceedings.

The IGP said that 723 persons have been arrested in connection with the attack and suspects are currently in custody or under detention orders.

He said more than 100,000 phone conversations investigated over the incident and Rs. 365 Mn in cash and assets have been confiscated so far.

He said that due to the lack of proper understanding of the police investigations into the Easter attack, various persons have made several opinions regarding those investigations.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya and Ajith Siriwardana)