Fr Jude Chrishantha arrives at CID to testify on a remark he made on Easter Sunday attacks.
Pic by Waruna Wanniarachchi

• Calls for the arrest of former President if necessary

By Yohan Perera   

The Media Director, Archdiocese of Colombo Rev. Fr. Jude Chrishantha yesterday called for the arrest of former President Maithripala Sirisena if necessary after questioning him on the Easter Sunday attacks.    

Fr. Chrishantha told journalists that he made this request from the CID after providing a statement that lasted nearly three hours.   

Fr. Chrishantha was summoned to CID after he made a remark referring to Minister Prasanna Ranatunga who had earlier said the former President was responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks. The Rev. Fr. was summoned to CID after he said the remark made by Minister Ranatunga should be investigated.   

“I told the CID that Minister Ranatunga should be summoned to CID and then get the necessary information from him and then question the former President. Also, I requested that Mr. Sirisena should be arrested and produced before courts if necessary,” Fr. Chrishantha told journalists.   

“Mr. Ranatunga is not a person who utters things and therefore he must have had some information on Easter Sunday attacks. Also, the report of the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks had held Mr. Sirisena was responsible for the attacks and had called for taking action against him under the penal code. We made our request on those grounds,” he added.   

“We wonder whether action against Mr. Sirisena is delayed after the remark he made in Parliament that the present government enjoys a two-thirds majority because of the SLFP he heads,” he also said.  

• The report of the Presidential Commission which probed the Easter Sunday attacks had held Mr. Sirisena was responsible for the attacks