3 months ago
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Sri Lanka's transgression investigators arrested the country's erstwhile quality main connected Wednesday (February 25, 2026) successful transportation with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, constabulary said.
Retired Major-General Suresh Sallay was taken into custody astatine dawn successful a suburb of the capital, constabulary said.
"He was arrested for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attacks," an investigating serviceman told AFP.
Mr. Sallay, who was promoted to State Intelligence Service (SIS) main successful 2019 aft Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President, had been accused of engagement successful the coordinated termination bombings, a complaint helium has denied.
British broadcaster Channel 4 reported successful 2023 that Mr. Sallay was linked to the Islamist bombers and had met them anterior to the attack.
A whistleblower told the web that helium had permitted the onslaught to proceed with the volition of influencing that year's statesmanlike predetermination successful favour of Mr. Rajapaksa.
Two days aft the bombings, Mr. Rajapaksa declared his candidacy and went connected to triumph the November ballot successful a landslide aft promising to stamp retired Islamist extremism.
Mr. Sallay was promoted to caput the SIS, Sri Lanka's main quality agency, pursuing Mr. Rajapaksa's victory, but was dismissed aft Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidency successful 2024, promising prosecutions of those down the attack.
In the aftermath, officials blamed a section jihadist radical for the termination bombings connected 3 churches and 3 hotels, but Mr. Sallay was besides accused of orchestrating the attack.
Other investigations faulted the authorities for failing to enactment connected warnings from an Indian quality bureau that an onslaught was imminent.
More than 500 radical were wounded successful the bombings, which besides killed 45 foreigners and crippled the land nation's lucrative tourism industry.
The Supreme Court fined then-President Maithripala Sirisena and 4 elder officials much than $1.03 cardinal successful a civilian lawsuit for their nonaccomplishment to forestall the attacks.
The U.N. has asked Sri Lanka to people parts of erstwhile inquiries into the bombings that were withheld from the public.
