Easter attacks case against Hemasiri, Pujith adjourned to June 12
COLOMBO – The trial against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks was on Wednesday (27) adjourned until June 12 by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar.
Fernando and Jayasundera, who appeared before the court during the hearing, face charges including criminal negligence for allegedly failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving prior intelligence warnings about the planned bombings.
The three-judge bench, comprising Justices Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Weerasuriya and Thilakaratne Bandara, ordered the matter be recalled on June 12 for the submission of further arguments and related filings.
The prosecutions stem from allegations that state authorities had advance intelligence regarding the attacks but failed to take adequate action to avert the coordinated bombings, which killed more than 260 people and injured over 500 on April 21, 2019.
During proceedings, the court also referred to earlier developments in the case, where the same Trial-at-Bar bench had ordered the release of certain accused on February 18, 2022, following evidence led by a procedural witness.
That decision was later challenged by the Attorney General before the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, which subsequently set aside the High Court’s earlier order, ruling that the prosecution should be given an opportunity to seek appropriate legal remedies.
Following the Supreme Court directive, the Colombo High Court resumed hearings in the matter and fixed June 12 as the next date for proceedings.
-ENCL
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