Sri Lankan civil servant at the heart of defence and state security
The High Court bench has convicted former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando in a fast-track trial for failing to act on repeated intelligence warnings before the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The verdicts, delivering a 2-1 decision, come after prosecutors appealed an earlier acquittal. The attacks killed 279 people and injured hundreds, prompting ongoing legal proceedings for others linked to the perpetrators.
The High Court has found most of the defendants guilty on multiple charges related to the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 279 people and wounded hundreds. Sentencing will be delivered later; several defendants face long prison terms while others are acquitted. The case has highlighted alleged intelligence failures and potential state links to the attacks.