Catholic Church Welcomes Dismissal of SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena

Speaking to the media, Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha, Director of the National Catholic Mass Communications, thanked the President for removing Jayawardena, who led the State Intelligence Service at the time of the attacks and is accused of ignoring prior intelligence warnings.

Father Krishantha urged the CID, IGP, and Attorney General’s Department to swiftly initiate criminal proceedings, stating, “The findings are clear. There is no need to delay.”

He also raised suspicions over former President Maithripala Sirisena’s actions before the attacks and accused three former Presidents—Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Ranil Wickremesinghe—of protecting Jayawardena.

Calling for the “harshest possible punishment,” including the death penalty for those found guilty, Fr. Krishantha said, “The victims deserve justice. No one is above the law.”

The 2019 Easter Sunday bombings killed over 260 people and remain one of Sri Lanka’s worst post-war tragedies.