Startling revelation at PCoI on April Attacks

SIS aware of Zahran's capability before Foreign Intelligence: Witness

by Staff Writer 14-08-2020 | 5:20 PM

Colombo (News 1st); Testifying at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry Probing the April 21st, 2019 Attacks former Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardene said the SIS was aware, Zahran Hashim had the physical and mental capacity to conduct an attack in the country, even before it received foreign intelligence on 4th of April 2019 with regard to a possible terror attack.

Responding to a question raised by a commissioner, SDIG Jayawardena said he was aware of Zahran's physical capacity to conduct an attack in the country after the Wanathawilluwa explosives raid in January 2019.

He added SIS has no records pertaining to other physical explosive caches of Zahran in the country and said they did not conduct an inquiry with regard to finding more explosives but were aware of Zahran's physical capacity to conduct an attack in the country.

The Former SIS Director said he had obtained a basic record check on Zahran after receiving the particular foreign intelligence on April 04, 2019, with regard to a possible terror attack and decided to inform about it to Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis.

He said the SIS took measures to inform about the foreign intelligence to the then IGP Pujith Jayasundara and also took measures to send the foreign intelligence to former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former CNI Sisira Mendis for necessary action on the 7th of April 2019.

SDIG Jayawardena further added in March 2019 two intelligence services in Sri Lanka said that Zahran had escaped the country.

However, Jayawardene said, SIS didn't even receive such information that Zahran had escaped the country in March 2019 and SIS officers were only aware that Zahran was in the country during that period.