Former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena has revealed that Nawfar Moulavi, the mentor of the ring leader of the Easter Sunday terror attacks Zahran Hashim was the mastermind of the terror attacks that took place on 21 April 2019.
Jayawardena revealed this yesterday while testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to probe the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Nawfar Moulavi, who is reported to be living in Qatar for several years, has been identified to have foreign links and instrumental in inspiring Zahran Hashim.
Details pertaining to the whereabouts of the banned group National Thawheed Jammat (NTJ) and its leader Zahran Hashim were discussed during the National Security Council meetings after 2017, he said.
Commenting on a report submitted by a Deputy Director of the SIS to then Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis regarding the activities of Zahran, Jayawardena said the report contained a statement by Zahran claiming all those who insulted the Islamic State (IS) should fear Allah.
The report also contained information that Zahran was hiding at his wife’s residence in Narammala following a clash between the NTJ and another group called Sunnatul Wal Jama’at, and also that there was a risk of an attack by groups following the IS ideology.
Jayawardena informed the PCoI that the report had been handed over to Deputy Director of the SIS to then Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis 10 months prior to the Easter Sunday terror attacks., adding that the National Security Council too was informed in this regard.
He further highlighted that separate Ministries for religions and its subject ministers promoting it without a proper system to regulate was a reason for many issues cropping up between religions in the country.
Then Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara was handed over a report in this regard and he and the Security Council were notified that the maintenance of places of worship without proper procedures and the construction of mosques with foreign aid was causing tension between religions.
The conversion of non- Muslims to Islam was also notified to the National Security Council, Jayawardena said.
When inquired by the PCoI if he was aware of the wife of the attacker of the Katuwapitiya Church in Negombo Pulasthi Mahendran being forcefully converted to Islam under the name Sara Jasmine, Jayawardena said he knew of the incident.
Upon being questioned if any action had been taken in this regard, Jayawardena said no such action was taken, including the recording of statements. (Newswire)