Easter attacks: Compensation payment deadline given to Maithripala and others expires next week

The time period given to former President Maithripala Sirisena and other accused to pay compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks expires on July 12.

On January 12 this year, the Supreme Court found that former President Sirisena, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis and former Chief of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Nilantha Jayawardena have violated the fundamental rights of the people by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings despite receiving sufficient intelligence information.

The order was delivered by a seven-member Supreme Court Judge bench, with regard to 12 petitions filed by various parties stating that their fundamental rights were violated by negligence and failure to prevent the coordinated terrorist attacks on April 21, 2019.

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.

In its verdict, the Supreme Court bench had ordered Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the petitioners, while Pujith Jayasundara and Nilantha Jayawardena were each ordered to pay Rs. 75 million, Hemasiri Fernando was ordered to pay Rs. 50 million and Sisira Mendis was ordered to pay Rs. 10 million from their personal money.

However, according to reports, none of the accused has credited the amount to the bank account specifically set up for this purpose.

In the event they fail to comply with the Supreme Court’s order and to deposit the money before the deadline, it would be deemed a contempt of court.