Former Minister Udaya Gammanpila launched his book, "Searching for the Mastermind of the Easter Attack," on March 31, identifying Zahran Hashim as the sole mastermind behind the April 21, 2019, Easter Sunday bombings. Gammanpila, who conducted 1.5 years of research, stated that Zahran was responsible for collecting explosives, manufacturing bombs, and gathering weapons, and had altered his attack plans from the August 2019 Dalada Perahera due to the New Zealand mosque attacks. The event, held in Colombo, saw the attendance of prominent political figures including former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as well as Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. However, former Minister Navin Dissanayake criticized the launch, calling it an attempt to "whitewash the Rajapaksas" and noting that Zahran Hashim had already been identified in the Presidential Commission report. Gammanpila also warned of 300 other extremists influenced by Zahran's ideology still present in society.
PoliticsCrimeHOT6h ago