COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s National Police Commission has dismissed a senior officer for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which left 279 dead, including 45 foreigners.
Nilantha Jayawardena (pic), former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), was found guilty on seven counts of negligence by a disciplinary inquiry.
Court records reveal Jayawardena received warnings 17 days before the coordinated suicide attacks on April 21, 2019, targeting hotels and churches. Over 500 people were injured in the bombings.
The Commission stated, “Considering the gravity of the charges, the Commission decided to give him the maximum punishment.”
Despite being removed as SIS chief after the attacks, Jayawardena was later promoted to deputy police chief before being placed on compulsory leave pending investigation.
A high-level probe implicated former president Maithripala Sirisena and four officials, including Jayawardena, for criminal negligence. Following a Supreme Court order in 2023, they paid over US$1 million in damages to victims.
The bombings were linked to a local jihadist group aligned with Islamic State. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government has pledged deeper investigations to uncover all responsible parties. – AFP
