The Colombo High Court yesterday (24) ordered that the case against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, accused of failing to act on prior intelligence ahead of the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks, be recalled on 26 January.
The matter was taken up before the High Court Registrar, as a three-judge bench to hear evidence, has yet to be appointed. The Attorney General had earlier filed separate indictments before a special trial-at-bar, but the bench discharged both accused without leading prosecution evidence.
That ruling, delivered on 18 February, 2020 by Justices Adithya Patabandige, Dr. Namal Bandara Wallella and Mohamed Irshadeen, was later challenged by the Attorney General. A five-judge Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Yasantha Kodagoda, Arjuna Obeysekera, Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Mahinda Samayawardena, set aside the High Court’s decision on 05 November, 2024, and ordered a fresh trial.
However, with one member of the trial-at-bar promoted to the Court of Appeal and another suspended, the Attorney General has asked the Chief Justice to appoint a new three-judge bench to proceed with the evidence.
By A.J.A. Abeynayake