Public Security Minister Tells Parliament: Evidence Points to Suresh Sallay's Role in Easter Sunday Attacks

Minister Makes Explosive Claims in Parliament

Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala made a striking declaration in Parliament on Wednesday, revealing that authorities have gathered sufficient evidence to establish that former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Suresh Sallay was directly involved in conspiring to carry out the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

A Tragedy That Shook the Nation

The Easter Sunday bombings of April 21, 2019, remain one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lanka's modern history. Coordinated suicide attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels across the country, killing more than 260 people and wounding hundreds more. The attacks sent shockwaves not only through Sri Lanka but across the entire world.

Evidence Collected Against Former Intelligence Chief

Addressing Parliament, Minister Wijepala stated that investigators have compiled adequate evidence linking Suresh Sallay — a senior figure in Sri Lanka's intelligence establishment — to the planning and execution of the attacks. The minister's statement signals a significant development in the long-running investigations into the atrocity, which have for years raised uncomfortable questions about possible state complicity or negligence.

The minister indicated that the evidence gathered is sufficient to demonstrate that Suresh Sallay conspired in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Calls for Accountability Renewed

The revelation is expected to intensify public and political pressure for full accountability surrounding the attacks. Families of victims and civil society groups have long demanded that all individuals responsible — including those within the security and intelligence apparatus — be brought to justice.

• The 2019 Easter Sunday attacks killed over 260 people across Sri Lanka.
• Three churches and three hotels were targeted in the coordinated bombings.
• Suresh Sallay previously served as Director of the State Intelligence Service.
• Minister Wijepala made the disclosure during a session of Parliament on Wednesday.

The government has faced persistent criticism over the years for the slow pace of the investigations and the failure to prosecute high-profile suspects. Wednesday's parliamentary statement may mark a turning point in efforts to deliver justice to the hundreds of families whose lives were irrevocably changed by the attacks.

Further developments are expected as the legal process moves forward, with the nation watching closely to see whether those implicated at the highest levels will finally face the full weight of the law.