Former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando says that this verdict is the final result of the conspiracy behind the Easter attacks, and that Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena and former President Maithripala Sirisena are two people who are happy with this verdict. He made this statement on the eve of the death penalty being imposed on him in connection with charges including failure to prevent the series of terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday.
He had stated as follows.
“Sir, this verdict is the final result of the Easter Sunday terrorist attack conspiracy. There are two people who are happy with this verdict. They are Nilantha Jayawardena, who was protected by the Attorney General’s Department from the beginning, and former President Maithripala Sirisena.”
Former IGP Pujith Wijesundara and former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando were sentenced to death yesterday by a majority panel of judges of the Colombo Permanent Three-Judge High Court, who were found guilty of failing to prevent a terrorist attack on Easter Sunday despite receiving intelligence that it was going to be carried out, dereliction of duty and abetting murder.
The case was heard before a three-judge High Court bench comprising Justices Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Weerasuriya and Thilakaratne Bandara.
In their majority verdict, Justices Priyantha Liyanage and Thilakaratne Bandara stated that the death penalty was imposed on the accused Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Wijesundara.
However, Judge Viraj Weerasuriya, who delivered the minority verdict, stated that the charges leveled against the accused by the prosecution have not been proven beyond reasonable doubt. Accordingly, he said in his verdict that the accused will be acquitted and released.