January 12, Colombo: The Supreme Court today ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay a sum of Rs.100 million as damages to the victims of Easter Sunday attacks.
Former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former SIS director Nilantha Jayawardhane were ordered to pay Rs.75 million each as compensation. Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando was ordered to pay Rs. 50 million, and former Chief National Intelligence Sisira Mendis was ordered to pay Rs.10 million.
The Court held these respondents had violated the fundamental rights of petitions filed in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks.
Issuing its verdict, the Supreme Court outlined the following Summary of Orders pertaining to the Easter attacks case;
1) A Victim Fund must be established at the Office for Reparation, which must formulate a scheme to award the sums ordered as compensation fairly and equitably to the victims and families.
2) The former President, Mathripala Sirisena, is ordered to pay Rs 100 million as compensation.
3) The former IGP Pujith Jayasundera and the former Director, SIS Nilantha Jayawardena, are directed to pay Rs 75 million each as compensation.
4) The former Secretary, Defence Hemasiri Fernando, is ordered to pay Rs 50 million as compensation.
5) The former CNI Sisira Mendis is directed to pay Rs 10 million as compensation.
6) The State is ordered to pay Rs 1 million as compensation. The State and the individual respondents named above must pay compensation to the victim fund maintained at the Office for Reparation. Respondents are asked to pay the amount they’ve mentioned above out of their personal funds.
7) The Office for Reparation must also investigate the alleged underpayment and nonpayment of the cabinet decision taken to compensate the victims. 8) We also direct the Office for Reparations to invite any generous benefactors and donors to contribute towards the Victim Fund through notifications in the media.
9) A progress report on the scheme of payment and the details about payments made by the above respondents and any benefactors must be made available to this Court within six months from today.
10) The Attorney General is directed to coordinate and liaise with the Office for Reparation in giving effect to this order.
11) In view of the observations we have made regarding the conduct of the Director, SIS, we would like to ask the State to take appropriate disciplinary action against the former Director, SIS Nilantha Jayawardena, for his lapses above and failures.
The justices also expressed shock and dismay at the deplorable want of oversight and inaction seen in the conduct of affairs about Security, Law and Order and Intelligence. The court verdict states there are glaring examples of a lack of strategic coordination, expertise and preparedness that need a critical examination of the way forward.
