Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero yesterday (9) defended detained former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, describing him as a valuable intelligence officer and war hero who dedicated more than three decades of service to the country.
Speaking at a Sathyagraha campaign organised in support of Sallay, Gnanasara Thero questioned the ongoing focus on identifying an alleged “mastermind” behind the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, arguing that the bombings were the result of extremist ideologies that had evolved over many years rather than a single political conspiracy.
Referring to terrorist attacks in other countries, he questioned why Sri Lanka continued to pursue theories about a hidden mastermind when similar incidents had occurred elsewhere.
“Did this kind of attack happen only in Sri Lanka? Was it the first such attack in the world?” he asked, noting that countries including New Zealand, France, Germany, the United States, Australia and Bangladesh had all experienced similar attacks.
The Thero also rejected allegations linking Sallay to financial assistance provided to the Easter Sunday attackers. He questioned claims that Sallay had allegedly provided Rs. 250,000 to Easter Sunday attack mastermind Zahran Hashim, arguing that the attackers already had access to substantial financial resources through wealthy supporters.
He further questioned why greater attention had not been paid to individuals he alleged were involved in spreading extremist ideology, including Abdul Razik, whom he claimed played a role in the radicalisation of some of those connected to the attacks.
Gnanasara Thero also criticised certain members of the Catholic clergy, including Fr. Cyril Gamini, accusing them of creating divisions among young people through their public statements and activism relating to the Easter Sunday attacks.
During his address, the Thero challenged Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Christian denominations and Muslim religious leaders to engage in a public debate on the origins and causes of the Easter Sunday attacks.
He maintained that investigations and reports, including findings attributed to the FBI and local commissions of inquiry, had already identified the ISIS-linked network responsible for carrying out the attacks.
The protest campaign concluded with calls for authorities to handle the case involving Sallay in accordance with the law and without political interference, while participants reiterated their support for military and intelligence personnel who served during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict.
