Former President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the court that he will not make a statement in court regarding his recent remarks on the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. He stated that he had already provided a statement to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and therefore saw no necessity to repeat it in court.
This communication was conveyed through a motion submitted to the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court by Sirisena's legal counsels on Wednesday (03).
The court had earlier ordered Sirisena to appear and make a statement on April 4 concerning his comments, which had garnered significant attention and scrutiny.
However, the CID had already taken a five-hour-long statement from Sirisena on March 25 following an immediate investigation initiated by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles.
Sirisena had sparked controversy on March 22 when he claimed to have knowledge about the true masterminds behind the Easter Sunday bombings during his tenure as the incumbent president. He expressed readiness to disclose this information but emphasized the need for strict confidentiality by the judiciary.
These remarks led to backlash, with some accusing Sirisena of deliberately withholding crucial information about the attacks that resulted in the deaths of over 250 people.
Subsequently, Sirisena clarified that his statement was based on information he had received three weeks prior to his public comments.
