Maithripala claims Cardinal wants him ‘jailed’ over Easter blasts

COLOMBO: Former President Maithripala Sirisena has claimed that he is being targeted as a perpetrator of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, despite several arrests already being made in this regard.

Speaking at a news conference in Colombo, Sirisena deemed it ‘unfair’ that he is still seen as a perpetrator of the attacks, despite the relevant suspects already having been arrested.

He accused the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of wanting him ‘jailed or executed’ over the attacks, despite the fact that investigations into the series of bomb attacks that took place on 21 May 2019 are still underway.

The Cardinal has an urgent need to send me to jail or have me executed over the attacks, but he is trying to do this without the relevant investigations having concluded”, the former President charged.