Colombo: Sri Lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe Monday announced that he will request assistance from the UK to investigate those responsible for the Easter Sunday attack.
Making a special statement, he said that due to the “incomplete nature” of the investigations into the Easter Sunday attack, he is requesting the assistance of the UK government and their intelligence services to probe it.
“The absence of a proper Easter Sunday investigation has meant that this issue has still not been fully resolved,” the Acting President said.
The Easter Sunday suicide attack carried out by a group of Sri Lankans connected with Islamic terrorist groups April 21, 2019, killed nearly 270, including 45 foreigners and injured over 500. The coordinated, almost simultaneous, suicide attacks were carried out at three churches and three hotels.
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The Catholic church has accused both former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former PM and presents Acting President Wickremesinghe of being responsible for the attacks by not taking action to prevent them despite detailed intelligent information provided by India days prior to the attack.
Meanwhile while awaiting Wednesday’s election of President from the Parliament, Wickremesinghe Monday declared a state of emergency where police and security have given special powers in case of public unrest and breach of law.
With nearly three months long protests culminating in protesters taking over President’s house, his office, PM’s official house and office and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country, leaving it leaderless, Wickremesinghe was appointed the Acting President, as per constitutional provisions.
IANS