The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) did not show much interest in investigating the Wellampitiya copper factory where the bombs used in the Easter Sunday terror attacks were said to have been assembled, former OIC of the Wellampitiya Police station, Chief Inspector of Police Anil Jayantha disclosed on Saturday.
He was giving evidence before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the Easter Sunday terror attacks, held last Saturday (14).
The former OIC of the Wellampitiya Police also said that he did not know whether the CID officers visited the Wellampitiya copper factory to conduct investigations. IP Jayantha who is presently the OIC of Thalangama police, was the acting OIC of the Dematagoda Police during the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
IP Jayantha also revealed before the Presidential Commission that he did not receive any prior warnings of the terror attacks.
According to the witness, Colombo North Superintendent of Police Sanjeewa Bandara requested him to alter certain records to imply that the Dematagoda Police received prior intel on the attacks.
Jayantha told the Commission that he refused to do so, knowing well of the repercussions of such an action, hence an investigation was launched. Asked if only SP Sanjeewa Bandara made Jayantha a request to alter the records, the witness said that the Personal Assistant of the SP, one IP Upendra too forwarded a similar request on several occasions. The evidence was led by Senior State Counsel Sanjeewa Gunawardena before the five member bench headed by Appellate Court Judge Janak de Silva. The other members include Appeal Court Judge Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna, Retired Judge of the Court of Appeal Nihal Sunil Rajapaksa, Retired Judge of the High Court Bandula Kumara Atapattu and retired Ministry Secreatry W.M.M. Adikari.
Giving evidence before the Commission. Chief Inspector of Police Anil Jayantha further said that he was on approved leave for five days starting from April 17. However, the witness said that he reported to work on April 21 and April 22, 2019. According to the witness, he was transferred to the Wellampitiya Police in June and following the transfer, Jayantha had noticed that the CID did not make much effort to investigate into the Wellampitiya copper factory.
Jayantha revealed that the CID even allowed the owner of the Wellampitiya copper factory to deploy their personal agents to secure the factory premises.
The next witness to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry was the Colombo North Assistant Superintendent of Police Neranjan Abeywardena.
He told the Commission that he received no prior information of a possible terror attack on Easter Sunday. He also said that SP Sanjeewa Bandara did not tell him about an imminent attack on any occasion prior to the attacks.
Then Grandpass Police OIC Sudath Priyantha appearing before the Commission revealed that SP Sanjeewa Bandara pressurised him to alter the Police records of the Grandpass Police in relation to the terror attacks. He also said SP Bandara pressurised him to give false evidence before the Police Investigation Unit inquiring into the terror attacks. Meanwhile, a special statement was recorded at the Presidential Commission yesterday (14). The witness, a Buddhist Monk, gave evidence in closed court. The said witness gave evidence for around three hours. The Commission will sit tomorrow (17).
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