Leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) Anura Kumara Dissnayake says criminal charges should be brought against all officials who failed to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks that resulted in the deaths of 269 innocents. Dissanayake said paying compensation to victims and their families is insufficient for the pain and suffering caused. “Therefore the Attorney General must criminally prosecute them,” he said.

The NPP leader said therefore steps must be taken to file a criminal case against former President Maithripala Sirisena, and others who were ordered by courts to pay compensation totalling Rs. 311 million to victims for failing to prevent the bloodshed which took place on 21 April 2019.

“The decision by the Supreme Court yesterday finding former President Maithripala Srisiena, Secretary of Defence and several others at fault is a decisive judgement. There are two main parties responsible for this attack. One is the party that failed to prevent this attack, the other party is the mastermind of the attack,” he said.

“According to the decision given in this fundamental rights petition, it is very clear that the country’s political leaders and officials have not fulfilled their responsibility to prevent the attack. Therefore, through this fundamental rights petition, we have now got the necessary facts to file a criminal case about the failure to prevent the attack,” he added.

The NPP leader said the Attorney General must not file a criminal action against Sirisena and others. “It is the government’s responsibility to not allow this attack to become buried in the annals of time and bring the masterminds to justice,” he said.