Commission Report Summary
There were two Presidential commissions and one Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to investigate into the Easter Sunday Attacks. One of the Presidential commissions reports was never published while the other report was partly published. None of the major recommendations from the published reports have been implemented to deliver justice for the victims.
On 22nd April 2019, a day after the easter attacks, former President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a Presidential Committee which was headed by Hon. Judge Vijith Malalgoda to investigate into the bombings. The Malalgoda Committee submitted its’ report on 10th June 2019 to the then President Maithripala Sirisena. However, the report was never made public.
On 22nd May 2019, a Parliamentary Select Committee was appointed to inquire and report to the Parliament on easter attacks. There were 9 members in the committee and the then Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri was the Chairman. Around 60 people have given evidence before this Committee and the then President Maithripala Sirisena, the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, were among them. On 23rd October 2019, the final report of the Committee containing 272 pages was presented to the Parliament in all three languages and it is available for the public. Nothing much has been done to implement the recommendations of this report.
On 22nd of September 2019, then President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the easter attacks. Over a period of 214 days the Commission has recorded evidence from 457 witnesses including members of the political authorities, security services and aggrieved parties. The final report was handed over to the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 1st of February 2021 and it was partly made available to the public. Though in the final report the Commission identified a number of people including the then President Maithripala Sirisena and the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe as the people responsible for the failure to prevent the easter attacks, just the then Inspector General of Police and the then Defence Secretary were indicted from all of them, and both were acquitted later.
On 22nd April 2019, a day after the easter attacks, former President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a Presidential Committee which was headed by Hon. Judge Vijith Malalgoda to investigate into the bombings. The Malalgoda Committee submitted its’ report on 10th June 2019 to the then President Maithripala Sirisena. However, the report was never made public.
On 22nd May 2019, a Parliamentary Select Committee was appointed to inquire and report to the Parliament on easter attacks. There were 9 members in the committee and the then Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri was the Chairman. Around 60 people have given evidence before this Committee and the then President Maithripala Sirisena, the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, were among them. On 23rd October 2019, the final report of the Committee containing 272 pages was presented to the Parliament in all three languages and it is available for the public. Nothing much has been done to implement the recommendations of this report.
On 22nd of September 2019, then President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the easter attacks. Over a period of 214 days the Commission has recorded evidence from 457 witnesses including members of the political authorities, security services and aggrieved parties. The final report was handed over to the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 1st of February 2021 and it was partly made available to the public. Though in the final report the Commission identified a number of people including the then President Maithripala Sirisena and the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe as the people responsible for the failure to prevent the easter attacks, just the then Inspector General of Police and the then Defence Secretary were indicted from all of them, and both were acquitted later.