{"id":230962,"date":"2023-01-23T00:14:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-22T18:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=230962"},"modified":"2023-01-29T04:02:25","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T22:32:25","slug":"why-did-ruwan-exonerate-ntj-leader-zahran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/why-did-ruwan-exonerate-ntj-leader-zahran\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Did Ruwan Exonerate NTJ Leader Zahran?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0<\/b>Amrit Muttukumaru<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Amrit Muttukumaru<\/p><\/div>\n

Ruwan Wijewardene who was State Minister of Defence during the entire period of the Yahapalana government is the only person in the country who has exonerated National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim<\/a><\/span> of complicity in the Easter Sunday bombings<\/a><\/span> killing more than 260 persons which included little children. This is indeed surprising since Zahran is widely believed to be one of the masterminds of this heinous crime.<\/p>\n

There is no doubt that Ruwan Wijewardene<\/a><\/span> said this since it was reported in the \u2018Daily Mirror<\/em>\u2019 owned by his father:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cthere was no information to suggest that Zahran was engaged in terrorist activities though he expressed extremist ideas over social media.\u201d (\u2018Daily Mirror<\/a><\/span><\/em>\u2019 19 August 2020)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruwan\u2019s opinion was well thought and cannot be dismissed since it was given 16 months after the carnage. He was also State Minister of Defence in the run-up to the attack on 21 April 2019.<\/p>\n

What is mind boggling is why this is not an issue to the law enforcement authorities, the Cardinal screaming from the rooftop for accountability, politicians, civil society and most crucially all sections of the media \u2013 mainstream and social.<\/p>\n

Could it be that all are in awe and fearful of Ranjit Wijewardene<\/a><\/span> the owner of the country\u2019s dominant print media company Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) who is the father of the laid-back\u00a0Ruwan?<\/p>\n

Ruwan himself has debunked the charade floated by vested interests that then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe<\/a><\/span> and he were not in the loop on intelligence reports as they were kept out of\u00a0<\/span>meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) by then President and Minister of Defence – Maithripala Sirisena<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NSC Charade<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

What is given below demonstrates that both then PM Ranil Wickremesinghe<\/span> and Ruwan were attending meetings of the NSC until the \u2018Constitutional Coup\u2019 of 26 October 2018 where Wickremesinghe confirms \u201cThe NSC discussed extremist activities on several occasions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Ruwan Wijewardene told the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in August 2019:<\/p>\n

(i) \u201cI was part of the NSC till the 51-day constitutional crisis in October, last year.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>(The \u2018Constitutional Coup\u2019 lasted 51 days from 26 October 2018)<\/p>\n

(ii) \u201cI was not informed about the weekly Intelligence Coordination Meetings either after the constitutional crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

(iii) \u201cThe National Security Council (NSC) discussed Muslim extremism in 2017 following a clash between two rival Muslim groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

(iv) \u201cThere were several occasions where the attacks could have been prevented. For example, if the Kattankudy Police had done their job properly after the clashes in 2017 and if the Mawanella Police had conducted their investigation properly, the disaster may have been averted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ref. \u2018The Sunday Times<\/a><\/em><\/span>\u2019 11 August 2019:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Then PM Wickremesinghe told the same Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in August 2019:<\/p>\n

(i) \u201cI was notified of NSC meetings up until October, 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n

(ii) \u201cThe NSC discussed extremist activities on several occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does not Ruwan telling the PSC \u201cThere were several occasions where the attacks could have been prevented\u201d indicate that both he and Wickremesinghe were in the loop and could have\u00a0<\/span>\u201cprevented\u201d the attacks?\u00a0<\/span>Why didn\u2019t they bring it to the notice of the public even through Ruwan\u2019s father\u2019s media empire?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did first cousins Ranil (then PM) and Ruwan (then State Minister of Defence) wait until after the Easter Bombings to complain they were not invited for NSC meetings after October 2018?\u00a0<\/span>Is this not a dereliction of duty? Is this not a lame excuse to cover their tracks? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruwan Contradicted<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Just 12 days after Ruwan\u2019s bombshell exoneration of Zahran Hashim, it was roundly contradicted by SI Srimal Sanjeewa of the CID when he informed the Presidential Commission probing the Easter Sunday carnage:<\/p>\n

\u201cNational Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim and his associates had been conducting a training camp for over four years at Al Zuharia Madrasa School in Pomparippu, Puttalam\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNTJ leaders provided training to a selected group of 26 students on the use of Type-56 firearms and hand grenades.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ref. \u2018Daily Mirro<\/a><\/em>r<\/em><\/span>\u2019 1 September 2020:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(Ruwan\u2019s exoneration of Zahran was reported in the \u2018Daily Mirror<\/em>\u2019 on 19 August 2020)<\/p>\n

Danger to Democracy<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It is fraught with danger for the governance of this country that hardly anyone recognizes that the likely motive of Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) to go out of its way to promote the dismal political track record of its owner\u2019s nephew Ranil Wickremesinghe is to carve out a political future for Wijewardene\u2019s laid-back son Ruwan who was given out of turn appointment as UNP Deputy Leader by first cousin Wickremesinghe. This is all part of dynastic politics.<\/p>\n

Given below are two current examples:<\/p>\n

1) Just three days ago (18 January 2023) WNL\u2019s \u2018Daily Mirror<\/em>\u2019 placed its news item \u2018Ministers in the Dark Over Possible Massage Laws?\u2019 at the top of its \u2018Front Page\u2019 while placing \u2018Mudalige\u2019s Case Transferred From Presiding Magistrate\u2019 at the bottom of its \u2018second page\u2019!<\/p>\n

Is this not to downplay Wickremesinghe\u2019s hugely unpopular and despised act of incarcerating hugely popular Wasantha Mudalige – Convenor of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF)\u00a0under the feared draconian Prevention of Terrorism\u00a0Act (PTA)?<\/p>\n

2) \u2018Daily Mirror<\/em>\u2019 had a news \u2018blackout\u2019 of the use of \u201cwater cannon against hundreds of people protesting in Jaffna against President Ranil Wickremesinghe\u2019s visit on Thai Pongal day.\u201d (\u2018The Island<\/em>\u2019 17 January 2023)<\/p>\n

Readers can ignore implications only at their own peril.<\/p>\n

The above are recent examples. Imagine what is going on and what will most likely go on to protect Wickremesinghe and Ruwan in the coming days and months. WNL owns the highest circulation newspapers in the country – \u2018Irida Lankadeepa<\/em>\u2019, \u2018Lankadeepa<\/em>\u2019 (Daily), \u2018Sunday Times<\/em>\u2019, \u2018Daily Mirror<\/em>\u2019 and \u2018Daily FT<\/em>\u2019. It also has the \u2018Tamil Mirror\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

What is really frightening is everyone in the country simply ignoring Ruwan exonerating NTJ leader Zahran Hashim of complicity in the Easter Sunday bombings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This includes the Cardinal, Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, civil society and more crucially all sections of the media.<\/p>\n

The fear of WNL is such that the appointment of Ruwan as\u00a0Minister of Mass Media by cousin Wickremesinghe (then PM) during the Yahapalana government did not draw even a\u00a0whimper\u00a0of\u00a0protest\u00a0from either the state or private media although he had access to information from competing\u00a0media institutions. At the same time he was also State Minister of Defence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Into this mix is now WNL owner Wijewardene\u2019s nephew being Executive President (unelected) and an opposition fearful of Wickremesinghe after what he has done to \u2018Aragalaya\u2019 activists and individuals such as Wasantha Mudalige – Convenor of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF). The Cardinal too is silent on Zahran being exonerated.<\/p>\n

What also needs to be probed is whether Ruwan\u2019s exoneration of NTJ leader Zahran Hashim is part of a wider conspiracy whatever it maybe?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018System Change\u2019 My Foot!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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