Some ministers asked their guards not to reveal they received warning of carnage

By Rathindra Kuruwita-July 14, 2020


Some MPs and Ministers had asked their security officers not to reveal that they had been warned of an attack on Easter Sunday by Zahran Hashim and his associates, Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Lucien Priyalal yesterday told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.

DIG Priyalal headed the Special Protection Range (SPR) at the time of the Easter Sunday attacks. On April 10, he received a warning in a letter from Chief of National Intelligence Sisira Mendis to Pujith Jayasundara, the then IGP. Jayasundara sent it to Nandana Munasinghe, SDIG of Western Province, SDIG crimes and STF, DIG special protection range and Director of the Counter Terrorism Investigation Division on April 09.  Priyalal said that he had seen it at around 2.30 pm on April 10.

"The letter mentioned four possible methods of attack as well as the names of six persons involved," he said.

Priyalal said that he had five divisions under him, i.e. the Ministerial Security Division (MSD), the Judicial Security Division (JSD), the Diplomatic Security Division (DSD), the Security Divisions of former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa. Immediately after receiving the letter he telephoned and informed the Directors of the warning.

The witness said that, on April 11, he had sent copies of the documents he received from the IGP with a covering letter, to the directors of all the divisions under his supervision. DIG Priyalal said that directors had been instructed to inform the officers under them about the warning.

Priyalal said that the Director of MSD provided security to 268 VIPs and the security officers who covered security of those VIPs had been informed by the MSD Director. Rrepresentatives from each protection unit had been summoned for a special instruction session too.

The witness also provided six additional policemen and a vehicle to beef up the security at the Indian High Commission.

Members of the commission then asked the witness whether the security officers had informed the relevant VIPs about the possible attack. They also asked Priyalal whether MSD officers usually informed VIPs of a potential threat.

"Not all the time. Some VIPs get agitated while others get angry. So it depends. However, some VIPs were informed. MSD Director later told me that some VIPs had asked their security officers not to reveal that they had been informed that there could be an attack on Easter Sunday by Zahran Hashim and his associates. They had made this request after the attack."said.

The witness said that he didn’t know the names of the VIPs who made that request. Perhaps MSD Director would know, Priyalal told the PCoI, adding that he had done everything in his power to ensure the safety of those who he had been entrusted to protect. He was in constant contact with heads of the five divisions under him and even met them on the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day, Priyalal said.

A commissioner asked the witness whether he, as a Christian, should have informed the Cardinal about the warning he received. Priyalal said that his brother too was a priest and that he was giving a sermon at a church near a blast site. "I didn’t even tell him. After the attack my brother and the Cardinal himself asked me why I had not warned them. I said if I had warned them and no attacke had taken place, I would have been blamed by everyone."