Pic by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe   

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya and Yohan Perera  

Rev.  Fr.  Cyril Gamini Fernando who was summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday to record a statement over a complaint lodged by the Director General of State Intelligence Service, has informed the CID that he needs a week to study the case.  

In a letter to the CID, Fr. Gamini said that he cannot appear before the CID as he believed that the case was a civil one where the aggrieved party shall go to Court instead of complaining to the CID.  

However, Fr. Gamini had reportedly not responded (in the letter) about other allegations levelled against him by the complainant.  

Rev. Fr. Shanthikumar Weliwita together with two other priests today handed over the written request of Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando to the CID requesting for time to prepare himself for the questioning.  

The CID summoned Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini to record a statement after Director General of State Intelligence Services Major General Suresh Sallay lodged a complaint with the CID on Monday over several malicious accusations levelled by Rev. Fr. Gamini on incidents surrounding the Easter Sunday Attacks in 2019.  
Participating in a panel discussion on the Easter Sunday Attacks held via the ZOOM platform on October 23, 2021, Fr. Cyril Gamini had stated that Saharan Hashim, the leader of the National Thawheed Jama’ath, who led the terrorist attacks, had received monetary and essential supports from the Sri Lankan Intelligence Services.  
He further said that Major General Sallay (then Brigadier) had actively played a role in nurturing Saharan and his cohorts.

-The CID summoned Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini to record a statement after  Director General of State Intelligence Services Major General Suresh  Sallay lodged a complaint with the CID on Monday over several malicious  accusations levelled by Rev. Fr. Gamini  

-However, Fr. Gamini had reportedly not responded (in the  letter) about other allegations levelled against him by the complainant.  

 -Fr. Cyril Gamini had stated that Saharan Hashim, the leader of the  National Thawheed Jama’ath, had received  monetary and essential supports from the Sri Lankan Intelligence  Services.