by Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday carnage has decided to summon the members of the Special Investigation Committee (SIC) appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena for the same purpose.

The PSC had informed the SIC members to be present to give evidence on Aug 8 at the Committee Room 1 of the Parliament complex, a PSC member said.

Headed by Supreme Court Judge Vijith K. Malalgoda, the SIC also comprised former IGP N.K. Ilangakoon and former Law and Order Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne.

Former IGP Ilangakoon and Padmasiri Jayamanne once testified before the PSC on July 25.

The SIC members would be asked whether they had recorded a statement of Director State Intelligence Service Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena during their probe on the Easter attacks, the senior PSC member said.

He said that the PSC had recorded the testimony of SDIG Jayawardena on July 24.

Jayawardena gave a four-hour statement to the PSC at the former Agriculture Ministry.

The PSC members said: “During the four hours we repeatedly asked him whether he had conveyed the message of prior intelligence warnings of the attack to President Sirisena but he did not answer in the affirmative. We want to find out whether the SIC recorded a statement from the SDIG and, if so, whether he had admitted it there. If the SIC has not recorded his statement , then we need to know as to why.”

He said that the SIC appointed by President Sirisena on April 21 to conduct investigations into the series of attacks that carried out in eight places, commenced its work on April 22. The SIC recorded statements from many government officials including Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara.

The SIC had obtained statements from many persons and through advertisements published in several newspapers on April 25, requesting the public and institutions to submit their opinions and information in this regard to the committee.

President Sirisena on 01 May received an interim report of the SIC.

The PSC is expected to summon Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Law and Order Ministers Sagala Ratnayake, Ranjith Maddumabandara and State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene today.

The PSC member said that they thereafter would decide whether to request President Sirisena to appear before the PSC.