SIS ignored information on Islamic extremism: Fmr. TID Director Nalaka de Silva

Although the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) was able to provide information on Islamic extremism to the State Intelligence Service (SIS), the SIS was hesitant to receive them, former TID Director DIG Nalaka de Silva today informed the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks.

Commencing the testimony, the Commissioners had played the voice recordings which former Police Informant Namal Kumara had released in 2018, where former TID Director DIG Nalaka de Silva made certain controversial statements over former SIS Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena.

Earlier, testifying before the Commission former SIS Director Jayawardena had submitted the voice recordings which had been released by Namal Kumara to the public in 2018.

Testifying before the Commission, former DIG Silva said that Namal Kumara was a casual informant who used to obtain certain information.

"Namal Kumara had direct links to Mahason Balakaya organisation and details related to Rohingya refugees. We used him to obtain those information," former DIG said.

The witness said that according to the Government Analyst's report regarding to the voice recordings, all the recordings were edited and most of parts were not included.

Commissioners then questioned the former TID Director regarding the statements he made to Namal Kumara against former SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena.

Responding to the question the witness said that all he wanted to find was whether Namal was having grudge with former SIS Director and that part was not included in the recording.

"I had to find the actual motive behind this Namal Kumara and why he had made certain serious allegations against former SIS Director. To find out the point, I have to engage in an open conversation with him and that's why I deliberately gave him some points against Nilantha. Only the parts where I made statements against Nilantha was included in the audio and the earlier conversation had been edited," he said.

A recording played by the Commission also revealed a plan in which Namal Kumara had to assassinate former STF Commandant SDIG M.R. Latheef.

After listening to the recording former DIG Silva said that the recording had been deliberately edited and at the end of that conversation, he had immediately stopped the vehicle and threw Namal Kumara out of the vehicle.(Yoshitha Perera)