Hand over Easter attack probe to Shani Abeysekara: Sajith tells RW

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera   

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hand over investigation into the Easter Sunday attacks to former Director of the CID Shani Abeysekara.   

The Opposition Leader told Parliament that Shani Abeysekara was carrying out investigations into the attacks successfully before he was taken out of the investigations.  “He is an honest official whom even President Ranil Wickremesinghe trusted,” he said.   

Premadasa said they were demanding an international probe as a transparent and reasonable investigation was not conducted locally.   

 “We need the truth to be revealed. We don’t want an international probe or international investigators if a transparent investigation is conducted locally,” he said.   

He also said there was a move to transfer several judges in Colombo, who acted impartially. There is a hidden agenda behind this,” he said.   

The Opposition Leader also said that there was an attempt by the government to regulate electronic, print and social media. “We believe that there should be a self-regulation for the media. We urge the government not to suppress the media,” he said.   

*Says he is an honest official whom even President Ranil Wickremesinghe trusted