Tragedy of errors: Parliamentary Select Committee not exempt

The Sunday Times June 9th issue editorial, written with a legal mind, is spot on with regard to what happened on Easter Sunday, and what needs to be done in the interests of the citizens of this country, when it wrote, “What happened on Easter Sunday, however, smacks of criminal negligence on the part of several persons in key positions. Revelations made by the former Defence Secretary, the former Inspector General of Police and the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) in the Parliamentary Select Committee over the past few days have shaken the country to its core. It raises questions of trust and confidence in the system; and the ability and capacity – or lack of it – of the custodians of power and public security to guarantee the safety of the citizens.” Profound words, no doubt.

The step taken by the custodians of power and public security, presumably to guarantee the safety of the citizens, is the appointment of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). But, the way the grandiose worthies of the PSC are faring, gives cause for concern about their adequacy.

The only explanation given by the DS, CNI and the IGP, is that they passed on the papers containing the intelligence reports. The PSC has apparently let them get away with it. Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando stated in addition, that he did not take the intelligence reports sent to him by SIS, seriously. The former DS was not asked if the intelligence reports were not of that serious a nature that should have been taken seriously.

Probing questions such as why the former DS and the IGP did not call for a risk assessment from the SIS and the DNI, of the intelligence reports received, should have been posed to them. Similarly, the DNI and SIS should have been questioned as to why a risk assessment was not made and conveyed to others concerned. The PSC has also not questioned the DS, IGP, DNI, and the SIS as to why an immediate meeting was not convened to plan appropriate action to prevent the catastrophe, - which was the logical step that should have followed the intelligence reports.

Although information on the National Thowheed Jamath clique, which was behind the Easter Sunday bombings, was known to have been available two or three years earlier to the intelligence reports that were received just a few days prior to the Easter Sunday bombings, the PSC did not question the DS, IGP and the CNI on this.

A pertinent question that begs an answer is, why a Senior State Counsel or such experienced official, was not appointed, as usually done when appointing such committees, to assist the PSC.

The whole exercise of the appointment of the PSC smacks of political gimmickry adding to the woes of the people who have to pay for their upkeep. It also frustrates the expectations of the Sunday Times editor and all of us citizens.