The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, national security is vital. Recently, underworld activity has surged in a short time, even acknowledged in Government press briefings. Statements suggested military weapons were used for underworld operations, and even that a serving military officer was involved. In the Ganehmulla Sanjeewa killing and the Hambantota triple murder, Police officers have been arrested. People go to the Police expecting justice; if links between underworld groups and some officers are suspected, that raises a national security concern.

¶ 02 Intelligence units’ identities must be protected. In CID or intelligence work, anonymity is standard; yet today, identities of some officers in stations are commonly known, which is a problem. We need law‑enforcement structures capable of combating organized crime in an organized manner.

¶ 03 The people gave this Government a mandate to stop dwelling on 75 years of history and to build anew. The Government has repeatedly stated politicians have links to underworld figures. If so, reveal them immediately and enforce the law—past or present politicians alike. Innocents have been killed, including a woman and her infant. Stray bullets can kill bystanders. We must act decisively.

¶ 04 Ash Wednesday and Lent begin soon for our Catholic community. By this April 21st, it will be six years since the Easter Sunday terror attacks. The Government promised justice; yet we still do not see transparent progress—who has been arrested, how the probe advances. I table a letter dated 2023.10.09 from the National Catholic Committee for Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims, signed by His Eminence the Cardinal and Bishops, addressed to the then Government. Please attend to it and respond.

¶ 05 The letter’s Section 02.01 notes that the FBI provided our CID with an IP address of a person who frequently communicated with Zaharan; when arrests were made, an Army Intelligence Brigadier, Chula Kodituwakku, reportedly intervened saying it was a state security matter and sought releases. Shani Abeysekara has filed fundamental rights petitions Nos. 59 and 60-63 on related matters. He can now recall those teams and question them, given FBI’s access to Zaharan’s laptop and phones. If you are pursuing the mastermind, identify who directed and controlled Zaharan.

¶ 06 Media reports daily reveal details in recent murders; if those can reach the media, then the public deserves to know how the law proceeds against those who massacred innocents on Easter Sunday. Please brief Parliament at minimum.

¶ 07 Channel 4’s Asad Moulana made serious disclosures. Bring him to Sri Lanka to testify; do not let this become another failure like Arjuna Mahendran’s extradition. Also probe the alleged links between Jameel and Military Intelligence, and clarify the multiple DNA tests regarding Sara Jasmine until her death was confirmed. Investigate the April 5 Gelanigama incident, where an explosive-laden van or lorry was reportedly stopped and then released following intervention by then DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon.

¶ 08 On passports and NICs, and other alleged frauds: this Government promised to stop and punish such acts, yet remains silent. Regarding dual citizenship, around 40 to 60 files are received daily; for three months they have piled up to around 2,800 files, affecting about 5,000 people awaiting decisions. Each principal applicant pays USD 5,000 and family members USD 500 each. This delay reduces Government revenue and harms applicants. Please expedite.

¶ 09 Thank you.