AG indicts 16 for involvement in 2018 Mawanella statue defacing incident

• Suspects to be indicted under eight charges including conspiring to cause violence and incite religious ill-feeling

By Asiri Fernando

Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera yesterday filed indictments before the Kegalle High Court under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against 16 suspects linked to the vandalism of several statues in Mawanella in 2018.

According to AG’s Coordinating Secretary State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, de Livera has requested the Chief Justice for a trial-at-bar to try suspects Naufer Moulawi, Ibrahim Moulawi, Mohammed Sajid, Mohammed Sahid, Sadik Abdullah, Sainul Abdeen, Mohammed Milhan and nine others.

They were charged with conspiring to cause violence and thereby incite religious ill-feeling and disharmony amongst communities by the destruction of several Buddha statues in the Mawanella area in December 2018.

The AG had filed the indictments following an analysis of the investigation reports filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the 16 suspects are members or close associates of the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) organisation which was banned following the Easter Sunday bombings, Jayaratne said. 

The indictments included charges of providing material and financial support for terrorist activities and the AG’s Department will submit 43 pieces of evidence and the statements of 92 witnesses during the proceedings, Jayaratne added. 

According to Jayaratne, the AG plans to file three indictments for conspiracy to incite violence and terrorism related activities which happen before the Easter Sunday bombings and another eight indictments regarding the bombings in the near future.

Earlier this month, Public Security Minister Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekara said the Government was convinced that the suspect known as Naufer Moulavi is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bombings, which took place two years ago. According to MP Weerasekara, the Government believes that Naufer Moulavi, based in Qatar for a period, indoctrinated the alleged leader of the attack Zahran Hashim and aided him to teach an extremist ideology to followers.

Addressing a special press conference earlier this month, MP Weerasekara said that all relevant reports and documentation from the presidential and parliamentary inquiries into the bombings have been given to the AG’s Department. Responding to criticism about delays and shortcomings in bringing those responsible to justice, MP Weerasekara pointed out that the onus was on the Attorney General to file charges against the suspects in custody.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, 75 suspects related to the bombings are being held under detention orders by the Police, while 211 are held in remand custody.