Easter-Attacks Investigations…SL Catholic Church is not forthcoming -Tiran Alles

In regards to investigations carried out in regards to Easter Sunday attacks for the past four years, Sri Lankan catholic churches had not been neither forthcoming nor had praised the work being done by the authorities, states Minister Tiran Alles (Minister of Public Security) alleges.

Minister had made these comments while participating in a press briefing held at the presidential media division. He further stated that the primary investigations carried out by the criminal investigation department (CID) has already been concluded to almost 99%. But unfortunately  from the perspective of the Sri Lanka Catholic Church community they were reluctant in accepting the progress authorities had made. On the contrary, the Catholic Church community is engaged in putting out statements via many social media and other public broadcasting platforms challenging the progress authorities had made.

The Sri Lankan Catholic Church community has continually complained that they hadn’t received any report of Investigation being done so far and they have continually demanded if such a report exist it should be made available to them. So as a courtesy of the Government and authorities good will I have been forthcoming with providing this report (what has been done so far) for the Catholic Church community with the full endorsement of the president himself.

He further stated that while this report has been handed over to the Catholic Church community I have  sincerely mentioned to them (not only at that instance but also previously as well) that it provides us, the authorities, an opportunity to make a well elaborated presentation of the progress we have made so far. In another context “this implies all the details authorities have managed to uncover well before Easter Sunday attacks were to take place (it’s pre preparation planning stages)  to what’s been taking place so far to this date and make a detailed  presentation of it all for the Catholic Church community”.

Minister further clarified  he and the authorities are more than willing to engaged with Catholic Church Senior scholars as bishops to an one on one discussion where, they will be given more than an opportunity to space not only to ask but also to request relevant recommendation that they feel as hasn’t been carried out properly or in a satisfactory way.

He reiterated authorities and the Catholic Church community needs to come to a certain kind of a truce in regards to these investigations and stop relentlessly and continually accusing the government and the Sri Lankan security forces of foul play. But unfortunately that is exactly what’s been taking place so far to date. Indeed some individuals to certain special interest groups have hijacked this investigation and used it for their own devious political and social purposes. If the Catholic Church community genuinely wishes to see a conclusion into this tragic event they must collaborate with the police and facilitate them  with the investigation with their own perspective. And authorities will more than welcome those steps.

Within the press briefing a participating journalist asked the question “do you believe that there actually was a mastermind behind these coordinated attacks and not only that there are far more  conspiratorial facts that have taken place? ” And the minister replied “So far, for the authorities, existence of a mastermind hasn’t been revealed with evidence in hand, this notion about a mastermind has been disclosed both by the cardinal as well as by Attorney General himself just only a one day prior to he took his retirement from his post. Strangely enough when he was requested to explain the claims the former Attorney General himself went into hiding”. Not only that he went in front of the courts to get a stay order, preventing him from giving evidence to authorities. How ever since the Attorney General started to keep quiet about the mastermind so as the Cardinal himself had stopped mentioning the so called mastermind ever since.

“To prevent this from further ever more escalating, is why we pleaded with the Catholic Church community to come forward and seek a discussion with police and the authorities to see a clear end to this. And put this behind us once for all”.