Govt.’s confirmation of Sonic’s existence

Acting Defence Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon made a startling revelation last week in Parliament, officially admitting for the first time that the individual who was known by the code name ‘Sonic’, associated with the Easter Sunday attacks, was in fact an intelligence operative of the State. According to the Minister, ‘Sonic’ had infiltrated the terror cell of Zaharan Hashim and been a source of information. 

“He portrayed himself as a terrorist. That is how you need to be with those terrorists. He cannot be present with them as a police officer,” he told Parliament accusing the Opposition of being ignorant of clandestine operations.

This admission raises many more questions than it answers. Firstly, whatever the bona fides and objectives maybe, this further proves a link between the intelligence apparatus and the terrorists that carried out the deadliest terror attacks in the country’s history. Minister Tennakoon is quite right to point out that numerous intelligence agencies use infiltration as a means of breaking terror cells. The UK’s head of MI 5, the domestic intelligence agency two years ago, admitted that it had foiled no less than 31 ‘late-stage terror plots’ mostly through such infiltrations. If what minister Tennakoon says is true, then this particular attempt to infiltrate the terror cell failed but it was no crime to try. Why was this information kept away from numerous investigations carried out by the police, a presidential commission of inquiry and a parliamentary select committee? Even without identifying the individual, the Government could have admitted to the attempted infiltration, yet this was not until now. 

There are many more questions to which ‘Sonic’, his superiors and the intelligence apparatus should answer. To begin with, why did ‘Sonic’ demand from one of the terrorists that the latter get in touch with ISIS to claim responsibility for the attacks? There is clear evidence of military intelligence intentionally derailing police investigations into the Easter Sunday terror cell, before and after the attacks. There are also claims that this group was known to and at some point even in the pay of military intelligence. The latest revelations in the UK’s Channel Four suggest that there were links between the current head of State Intelligence, Major General Suresh Sallay and members of the terror cell. All these and much more need to be explained. 

If there is to be any credibility for the State and the investigation into this atrocity, then the whole truth should come out and answers to all of the outstanding questions answered.

That is not possible with those accused of involvement in this crime still holding positions of authority. Major General Sallay has not had the decency to resign from his position which can directly undermine investigations and those above him including the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and the President as the Minister of Defence have not seen it necessary to at least send him on temporary leave until investigations are complete. None of these bode well for the credibility of the State.

Now that the Acting Minister of Defence has admitted to a key player involved in the Easter Sunday attacks being a State operative, he and others should explain the cover up and the actual role of all intelligence agencies in dealing with the terrorists.