Suspended Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara on June 6 testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) said that he was told that his presence is no longer required at the National Security Council (NSC) meetings, reports Colombo Page. The suspended IGP said he was informed of the President's directive by the then Secretary of Defense Kapila Waidyaratne. During questioning Jayasundera said the Defense Secretary normally informs of the NSC meetings and he has been participating the NSC meetings since his appointment on 20 April 2016 until October last year until he verbally received instructions from the Defense Secretary that he is not needed to attend NSC meetings.
He further said the last meeting he attended was on 23 October 2018, three days before an unprecedented political crisis was set off by the President by sacking Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister. PSC was appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in various parts of the country on April 21 and report to Parliament. Island adds that during the hearing Jayasundera said that President Maithripala Sirisena following the Easter Sunday carnage had asked him to accept the responsibility for the disaster. "I was told that there would be a presidential committee to probe the incident, I would be found guilty and I would go home without my pension. I was asked to resign and offered an ambassadorial post. I did not accept the offer so the President sent me on compulsory leave."