DMI involvement bared in parliament

Prez urged to remove Maj. Gen. Jayasekera from Defence Ministry

- BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO

The SJB has called for an investigation into Deputy Defence Minister Maj. Gen. (retd.) Aruna Jayasekera’s declaration in Parliament that a small group within the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) was involved in 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Maj. Gen. Jayasekera, who was the Eastern Commander at the time of Easter Sunday carnage and subsequent blasts at Sainthamaruthu in the East also in April 2019, should come clean, top SJB spokesman Mujibur Rahman told The Island.

Rahman asserted that the Deputy Defence Minister's declaration could be considered as the much anticipated breakthrough the NPP government expected. “We expect the CID to question the Deputy Minister on his claim,” Colombo District lawmaker said.

When The Island pointed out that accusations had been made against the DMI as well as one of its former heads the then Brigadier Suresh Sally regarding Easter Sunday carnage, MP Rahman emphasised that the latest allegation was made by a fellow retired senior officer who had served as the most senior officer in the East at that time extremists planned the attacks.

The government proscribed the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) over the Easter carnage.

Pointing out that during the initial investigations the CID recorded Maj.