Easter Sunday investigation and prosecution 

In an unprecedented move, the Attorney General’s Department has reportedly identified former State Intelligence Service Director, retired Major General Suresh Sally, as the alleged mastermind behind the devastating Easter Sunday attacks. In a parallel development, the Fort Magistrate’s Court imposed a foreign travel ban on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in connection with the same investigation.

These are extraordinary developments with profound implications for Sri Lanka’s political, security and judicial systems. The allegations concern individuals who once occupied the highest levels of the country’s security and political establishment. Yet it is imperative to remember that both Major General Sally and former President Rajapaksa, like any citizen, are entitled to the fundamental principle of justice that guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.

At the same time, reports concerning the alleged ill-treatment of Major General Sally while in custody, including claims of mental torture, have now begun to dominate the discourse. The rule of law demands that all suspects, regardless of the accusations against them, be treated with dignity and afforded the protections guaranteed by the Constitution and international human rights standards. Meanwhile the Police has denied allegations. 

However, while these issues are important, they must not distract from the central objective of the investigation in establishing the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks and ensuring that those responsible are brought before the courts without further delay.

Over seven years after the attacks that claimed hundreds of innocent lives and traumatised an entire nation, the victims, their families and the Sri Lankan public continue to await definitive answers. The emergence of such serious allegations should therefore accelerate, rather than prolong, the pursuit of justice.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) must now move expeditiously to conclude investigations, file charges where sufficient evidence exists and place the matter before the judiciary for determination. Prolonged magisterial inquiries and extended custodial detention without meaningful progress serve neither justice nor public confidence. If there is evidence, it should be tested in open court. If there is insufficient evidence, that too should become apparent through due process.

This case represents an acid test for Sri Lanka’s justice system. Unfortunately, the country’s judicial and prosecutorial institutions have not always inspired confidence in their ability to deliver timely and credible outcomes in politically sensitive cases. Too often, investigations drag on for years, public attention fades and political circumstances change. As a result, cases that once appeared destined to uncover wrongdoing are quietly abandoned or dismissed.

Numerous corruption and abuse-of-power investigations initiated during the Yahapalana administration lost momentum and ultimately collapsed after political power shifted. Whether due to institutional weakness, political interference or procedural delays, the result has been the same, diminished public trust in the administration of justice.

The Easter Sunday case is simply too consequential to suffer a similar fate. The magnitude of the tragedy, the gravity of the allegations and the national importance of uncovering the truth demand a different outcome. Delays will only fuel further suspicion, deepen public cynicism and undermine confidence in State institutions.

Justice in this matter must not be measured merely by arrests, travel bans or sensational allegations. It must ultimately be measured by the ability of the legal system to establish the facts, determine accountability and deliver fair verdicts based on evidence.

The victims of Easter Sunday deserve nothing less. More importantly, the nation itself deserves closure. Sri Lanka cannot hope to move forward while one of the most devastating incidents in its modern history remains unresolved.