The Colombo Archdiocese has refuted claims that the Archbishop of Colombo had requested the reinstatement of former Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Director Shani Abeysekera and Retired Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne to head the investigations by the current government into the 2019 Easter attacks.
Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake, recently said in Parliament that Shani Abeysekera and Ravi Seneviratne were brought into the Police Force on the request of Archbishop, His Eminence, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
Refuting the claims, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, told the media that no such request had been made from the President or any person by the Archbishop or the Colombo Archdiocese.
Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando said that the team probing the Easter attacks was changed following the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President.
“During this change, Ravi Seneviratne retired, and Shani Abeysekara was arrested and remanded. The original team was completely changed and transferred. The probe into the Easter attacks stalled because of this,” he said.
Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando clarified that a request was only made by the Colombo Archdiocese to include the previously transferred officers of the CID, who were involved in the initial probe, to the teams that are continuing the investigations into the Easter attacks.
Pointing out that it is now evident that Shani Abeysekara was among those officers, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando said, however, no request was made by specifically naming any individual, including Shani Abeysekara or Ravi Seneviratne.
Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, made the remarks while addressing the media today (21). (Newswire)