An Extraordinary Gazette notification was issued extending the Emergency Regulations by another month, reports Daily Mirror on June 22. This was the second occasion where the emergency regulations were extended after the Easter Sunday attacks. Emergency Regulations provides provisions to the armed forces to take measures to ensure peace in the country.
Meanwhile, the Parliament on June 21 approved the regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act to ban three Muslim organisations - National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ), Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI) and Wilayat As Seylani (WAS), reports Daily Mirror. The gazette notification signed by the President under Section 27 of the Prevention of the Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act was presented by House Leader Lakshman Kiriella. It bans the obtaining of membership in these organisations, providing leadership, using uniforms, emblems and flags belonging to these organisations and the aiding and abetting with members of those organisations. Anyone found guilty of the regulations of the gazette notification would be liable to a 20-year jail term with their assets being confiscated.
Separately, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 21 said all living suspects responsible for the Easter Sunday bomb attacks have been apprehended by the security forces so far as two months have elapsed since the carnage, reports Daily Mirror. The Prime Minister further said “Better be careful if you have had even a cup of tea with members of Zahran group as the security forces will question you. The security forces will ask me as to why I divulged all these but I will tell them that I revealed these to do justice to them. Many have questioned us as to what the government had done about the Easter Sunday attacks. Therefore, those who question should know what the security forces have done.”
In the meantime, the Attorney General has directed the acting IGP to initiate criminal investigations against nine high ranking Police officers for allegedly failing to prevent or minimise Easter Sunday attacks, reports Daily News on June 21. Co-ordinating Officer to Attorney General Dappula de Livera, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne told that the Attorney General has decided to issue these directions after taking into consideration the final report dated June 7, 2019 titled ‘Special Board of Inquiry Appointed to Inquire into the series of Incidents Related to the Explosions that occurred at Several Places in the Island on April 21, 2019.