Colombo, April 24 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the country’s police chief, Pujith Jayasundara and Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to resign following severe security lapses over Sunday’s explosions which killed 359 people, sources said.
It is learnt that Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando had met the President in the morning of Wednesday and that he was told to resign. Unconfirmed reports said that he had resigned and a Presidential announcement will follow.
While it is easy for the President to have his way in the matter of the Defense Secretary and all other Secretaries to the government, because he is the sole appointing authority, in the case of the Inspector General of police, it is not easy as the appointing authority in the independent Police Commission.This is the reason why the President requested him to resign instead of sacking.
Since Defense Secretary Fernando is to go, there is speculation as to who will take place. The front runner is said to be retired army chief Gen.Daya Ratnayake. But army sources say that claims have been made by other contenders and that the matter is pending with the President.
Vital forewarnings about the precise nature of the attacks, the targets and the organizations behind them were provided by India on April 4, 11 and hours before the attacks. But the matter had received scant attention. A Deputy Inspector General of police had sent a memo to all top officials except the political bosses including the Defense Minister cum President Sirisena, State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
All the political bosses complained publicly that the information was not shared with them. Therefore there were no orders from the top. The security apparatus was inactive when the bombers struck with devastating effect in a number of places within a short span of time.