Cabinet Spokesperson Vijitha Herath yesterday (15) challenged Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader Udaya Gammanpila to hand over two committee reports on the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, which are not yet in the public domain, to the Government within three days.
Herath issued this ultimatum in response to Gammanpila's earlier statement, in which he gave the Government seven days to publish the two reports, warning that if they failed to do so, he would release them online.
The reports in question were prepared by committees headed by S.I. Imam and A.N.J. de Alwis. The S.I. Imam report was submitted to the former president on 25 June 2024, while the A.N.J. de Alwis report was handed over on 14 September 2024. These reports investigated the role of the intelligence services during the Easter Sunday terror attacks and addressed allegations raised by a documentary produced by the United Kingdom's Channel 4. The committee chaired by retired Judge A.N.J. de Alwis examined the intelligence services' role in the attacks.
Earlier, Minister Herath claimed that these reports had gone missing. Gammanpila, in response, said none of the reports were missing and that he had them in his possession.
When journalists questioned Herath about Gammanpila's ultimatum, the minister said that if Gammanpila truly had the reports, he should submit them to the Government within three days. "It will be easier for us. Also, it should be investigated how Gammanpila got these missing reports," Herath said.
“If Gammanpila had these reports and he didn’t disclose them to the public, it is a crime too,” Herath added.