The Final Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by its Chairman Supreme Court Justice Janak de Silva at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Members of the Commission, Secretary to the President Dr.P.B.Jayasundera and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga were present. Picture courtesy President’s Media Division
The Final Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks that took place on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019 was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Chairman of the PCoI, Supreme Court Justice Janak de Silva at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
The report consists of 472 pages, 215 attachments and six volumes. The First interim report was presented to the President on December 20, 2019 and the second interim report on March 02, 2020.
The Commission was appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena on September 22, 2019 through a Gazette Notification to investigate and report on the series of terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday and to recommend the necessary action based on the findings.
According to the gazette notification, the Presidential Commission carried out its activities from October 31 to January 28, 2021 and officially concluded its proceedings on January 27, 2021.
On April 21, 2019, a series of attacks targeting hotels and Catholic churches were carried out by eight suicide bombers. Kochchikade St. Anthony’s, Katuwapitiya St. Sebastian’s, Batticaloa Zion Churches and Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand Hotels were targeted by them.
Following that, two terrorists committed suicide by detonating bombs in Dematagoda and Dehiwala areas.
The series of attacks killed at least 270 people and injured nearly 500 others. The PCoI recorded evidence from 457 people over a period of 214 days. Among them were members of the Political authorities and the Security services, as well as those involved in disaster related activities.
Secretary to the President Dr. P.B Jayasundera, Chief Adviser to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Members of the PCoI Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, retired High Court Judge Nihal Sunil Rajapaksa and A.L Bandula Kumara Atapattu, Former Secretary to the Ministry of Justice W.M.M.R. Adikari, Secretary to the PCoI H.M.P Buwaneka Herath were also present.
