Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Archdiocese of Colombo
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – Sri Lankan police have arrested former intelligence chief, retired General Suresh Sallay, in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks of April 21, 2019. The coordinated attacks on three luxury hotels in Colombo, two Catholic churches, and one Protestant church left a total of 279 people dead and 500 injured. According to investigators, the charges are "conspiracy and complicity in the attacks." Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, a priest from Colombo and spokesperson for the Archdiocese, declared: “As a Catholic community, we see no reason to criticize or celebrate this arrest, let alone interpret or exploit it politically. We have demanded justice from the very beginning and continue to demand it. We want justice to be served and the truth to come to light: we owe this to the victims of this tragedy and their families. We want nothing more than justice.”
Father Fernando, who is also the editor of the Sinhalese-language Catholic weekly newspaper "Gnartha Pradeepaya" ("The Light of Knowledge"), told Fides: "After a long period of inactivity, the investigation was reopened in 2024 thanks to the new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was elected in September 2024. Previously, the two former presidents had neglected the investigation and effectively covered it up. Now, after approximately 16 months of investigation, the work of the new commission of inquiry has led to the general's arrest."
"The arrested man," the priest clarified, "is facing charges that still need to be examined: This is not yet a verdict of guilt." “For this reason,” he continued, “we ask the public for calm and patience so that the relevant institutions, the police and the judiciary, can carry out their work transparently and honestly, and truth and justice can come to light. We hope that the rule of law will be respected so that we can identify those responsible for the attacks and their reasons and prevent impunity. The principle to be applied is: The law is the same for everyone. There must be no distinctions or privileges. This is the rule of law, which must be protected in our country.” “The Catholic Church has always upheld its core values, namely the protection of the inalienable dignity of every human being. This principle applies always and to everyone: the families of the victims, the injured, and the accused,” Father Fernando concluded. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 26/2/2026)
