New Sri Lankan govt orders reinvestigation of several high-profile cases

Sri Lanka's new government has ordered the police to reinvestigate some high-profile cases, including the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and the 2005 murder of a Tamil minority community journalist.

The ruling National People's Power, which won the presidential election last month, pledged to reinvestigate past cases which had not been resolved.

The Ministry of Public Security took action to identify any lapses in investigations.

The ministry has asked the acting police chief that these cases should be reinvestigated," Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said on Saturday.

The cases to be reinvestigated include the alleged scam in the issue of Central Bank bonds in 2015 blamed on the then government of Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former president, and the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians.

The catholic church has been demanding stringent action on what they alleged was a politically motivated cover-up by previous governments on the attacks.

Among the other cases that are to be investigated are the 2005 murder of Tamil minority community journalist D Sivaram and the 2006 abduction and disappearance of a Tamil minority academic who headed the Eastern University at the time.

The 2011 disappearance of two political party activists in the northern capital of Jaffna is also on the list.