Easter Sunday Attacks: Supreme Court orders Maithripala Sirisena to pay Rs.100 Million as compensation
(Photo Source: Maithripala Sirisena’s Official Facebook Page)
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court today (January 12) ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million for victims of 2019 Easter Sunday attacks as compensation.
The Supreme Court has decided today (January 12) former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former Chief of State Intelligence Nilantha Jayawardena have violated the Fundamental Rights, by failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks despite receiving prior information.
Court ordered Former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay a compensation of Rs. 100 Million, Former Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara & Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene to pay a compensation of Rs. 75 Million each, Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to pay a compensation of Rs. 50 Million.
Former National Intelligence Service Chief Sisira Mendis was ordered by the court to pay a compensation of Rs. 10 Million.
The Supreme Court said that all these funds need to be collected and be used to compensate the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks.
Accordingly, the government must make available Rs. 1 Million per person killed in the terror attacks, and Rs. 500,000/- to each person injured in the attacks.
Court ordered that the state must take the necessary measures to compensate the victims.
In addition the Supreme Court ordered disciplinary action against Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene within 6 months.
The Attorney General was ordered to monitor and report to the court on the progress of compensating the victims, and the action taken against Former State Intelligence Services Chief Nilantha Jayawardene.
The order was issued this morning (January 12), by a seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench, delivering its decision with regard to the 12 petitions filed by various parties stating that their fundamental rights were violated by negligence and failure to prevent the terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.
The seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench consisted of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, L.T.B. Dehideniya, Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairaja, A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Shiran Gunaratne.
The 12 petitions were filed by a group of individuals including Nandana Sirimanna, whose two children were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks, tourism entrepreneur Janath Vidanage, three Catholic Fathers including Rev. Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda, Attorney-at-Law Moditha Ekanayake, who was injured in the bombings at the Shangri-La Hotel.
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At last a verdict has been given though this compensation can’t substitute for the human lives lost. BTW, who was the brain (Maha-Mola-Karu) behind this attack? Is the Rev. Cardinal happy about this decision?