Easter Sunday attack negligence case against Hemasiri, Pujith to resume on 18 September

Tuesday, 29 July 2025 04:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hemasiri Fernando (left) and Pujith Jayasundara

The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar yesterday announced that the criminal negligence case against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara will be taken up again on 18 September.

The case, which accuses the two former top officials of failing to act on prior intelligence to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, was heard yesterday before a High Court bench comprising Judges Namal Balalle and Mohamed Irshadeen.

During proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Sudarshan de Silva, representing the Attorney General, informed the Court that one of the original trial judges, Adithya Patabendige, had been elevated to the Court of Appeal. As a result, a new judge will be temporarily appointed to complete the three-judge bench until the Chief Justice names a permanent replacement.

The Court granted the request and postponed the case to 18 September to resume hearings.

The case has seen a complex legal trajectory. Initially, the Trial-at-Bar acquitted and released both Fernando and Jayasundara, citing insufficient grounds to proceed. However, the Attorney General appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging the acquittal and arguing that the High Court had erred by dismissing the case without examining any witnesses.

Upholding the appeal, the Supreme Court overturned the High Court’s ruling and instructed it to conduct a full trial with witness testimonies before delivering a verdict.

Fernando and Jayasundara are among the highest-ranking former officials to be prosecuted in connection with the April 2019 bombings, which killed over 260 people and injured hundreds more in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Sri Lanka’s history.