The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday, July 28, questioned Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Harin Fernando over a controversial statement he made on the April 2019 Easter Sunday Terror Attacks.
MP Fernando, who came to the CID Headquarters in Colombo around 10.30 a.m. and left the CID around 3.30 p.m., after a marathon five-hour session where he gave statements and answered questions on his statements pertaining to the deadly attacks, which killed nearly 260 and injured 550 people in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.
The main concern of the CID investigators was a statement he had made at a press conference held in the aftermath of the incident, to the effect that his ailing father had implored him not to go to Church on April 19, 2019 as ‘some incident could happen’ on that day.
MP Fernando said at the press conference that he was surprised by his father’s appeal to him not to attend Church services on that Sunday.
This revelation caused a huge stir at the time as several foreign intelligence services had given prior warnings to the authorities at the time that several incidents could take place in Colombo and elsewhere on Easter Sunday. However, no action was taken on these warnings.
This is not the first time that MP Fernando has been requested to come to the CID to make a statement on this issue.
He was accompanied to the CID building yesterday by Opposition and SJB Leader – Sajith Premadasa, SJB General Secretary – Ranjith Madduma Bandara, SJB media spokesman – Manusha Nanayakkara and several others.
Addressing the media gathered outside the CID, MP Fernando said he informed then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe about his father’s prediction. Mr. Wickremesinghe has told Mr. Fernando to inform the CID investigators to note that fact down. MP Fernando said he is always ready to cooperate with investigators on this or any other issue.
Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa told the media that the SJB would always stand for and with MP Harin Fernando and their forward march cannot be halted by these attempts of the Government. MP Fernando recently made several other statements about the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks in Parliament as well.
