Copy of final investigation report on Easter Sunday carnage should be given to Archbishop: PM

By Yohan Perera in Kinniya  

The reports of all investigations carried out by the police regarding the Easter Sunday carnage should be sent to Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith so that he could make his observations, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.  

The Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said this at the opening of a new building at the Kinniya Central College.  

“The CID has completed the investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks and a report has been handed over to Speaker Karu Jaysuriya. He had referred it to me and to the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the bomb attacks. The investigation reports have cleared former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen but had asked the Attorney General to file action against some others. Therefore I proposed to the members of the select committee to meet Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and hand him over a copy of the CID reports. Catholic church has a right to look at these investigation reports and make its observations,” the Prime Minister said.   
“However some have said they reject the CID reports. They had said they are not satisfied with the investigations carried out on former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. The reports have cleared Mr. Bathiudeen when it comes to 300 complaints filed against him by various persons. However CID has submitted investigation reports to the Attorney General and had wanted him to file legal action against some suspects. In such circumstances it is not advisable to reject the reports as the lawyers which will be retained by the suspects against whom legal action are to be taken to their advantage. Lawyers of these suspects will argue that it is not possible to file legal action. They would argue that CID reports have no credibility as some have rejected it,” the Prime Minister added.   

Prime Minister recalled that all Muslim Ministers including Mr. Bathiudeen resigned from their posts in order to allow proper investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks could be carried out. “ They informed me that they want to resign so that investigations could be carried out in a proper manner. The Ministers resigned so that no one could claim that they are trying to stop the investigations,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said in this regard.   

Also the Prime Minister said it is time all ethnic groups in the country begin to call themselves Sri Lankans. “The Sinhalese will not lose anything by calling themselves Sri Lankans. Likewise neither a Tamil nor a Muslim would lose their respective identities by calling them and identifying themselves as Sri Lankans ,” he finally said.