Now that MP Udaya Gammanpila has made public the Imam Committee Report, it is poignant to return to September 2023, when Channel 4 first broadcasted its program. at 1105p.m. (SL time 0335a.m.). The Cardinal issued a 3page letter dated 6 September (hours after C4 release). Given that he appeared on the program, he would have been aware of its contents. Before we summarize the Imam Report, it is necessary to read the contents of that congratulatory letter by Cardinal to C4 & connect that to the Justice Alwis & Justice Imam reports.

Cardinal on Channel 4 Easter Sunday broadcast

• Expresses “our” gratitude to the C4 for focusing attention to a “great plot” – by “our” we take it to be himself & the entire Church.
• The Imam Committee has clearly refuted this in their report.
• Cardinal who “yearn continuously for “Truth” thanks C4 for its “project of inquiry” – read below as to what the Imam Committee has to say.

Channel 4 has not answered

• If Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley was in Sri Lanka in February 2018
• If Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley visited a coconut estate in Puttalam
• If Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley actually spoke to Hamsa
• If Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley called a TMVP operative on 21 April 2019
• If Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley was in Sri Lanka at the time of the Easter Sunday attacks

C4 has only accepted Hamsa’s statements as “facts” without evidence. So this “grand plot” is only a figment of the imagination.

Cardinal’s letter states no “positive action” has been taken.

• Supreme Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay compensation of Rs.100m
• Former SIS Head Nilantha also paid compensation of Rs.75m
• Present President as former PM will also have to make payment.
• Several Islamic movements were banned
• Over 23000 charges were filed by the AGs dept
• 25 men were put on trial

Are these not positive actions?

The Cardinal in 2023 gave 4 points

1. He demands a “free, impartial, just, transparent, broad based investigation” into Channel 4 & its “grand plot” theory. The Imam Committee has flatly demolished this notion & termed Hamsa’s statements as “hoax”.
2. He asks for an “independent international investigation” – all that is required is to ask Malaysian authorities to confirm if Suresh Salley left Malaysia in February 2018.
3. Cardinal demands who should comprise the investigation team – this is the most relevant part of his letter. This demand has to be read together with the Justice Alwis report also released by MP Udaya Gammanpila.

Cardinal’s 3^rd demand is to reappoint the team who were transferred to continue the investigation. This is indeed a strange request by a Cardinal. The Justice Alwis report actually faults the 2 senior officials & recommends criminal action against them for criminal negligence while Cardinal is requesting them to be reinstated to continue investigation. Something is definitely amiss here! Why does Cardinal want to select who should investigate!

4. Cardinal is not only asking the transferred officers to head the investigation but to suspend all other police & intel high ranking officials until investigation completes while he is also demanding removal of high-ranking officials named by Channel 4.

If we are going on the path of “grand plot” we have to wonder how many would admit like former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando “we knew something would happen but not to this extent” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLopoYWJS8

As per former SIS Head, at least 15,000 knew “something would happen” – their conscience should now prick them about how they saved their own skin but sacrificed 269 innocent people.

Channel 4 is a channel that broadcasts privately funded programs. Did money take precedence over ethical journalism?

In other words, did the Channel 4 neglect to assert authenticity of what they were broadcasting? This, questions, the nature of their “investigative” journalism. In fact the Justice Imam report completely demolishes the credibility of Channel 4. It should also recall a series of previous Channel 4 broadcasts on Sri Lanka & clearly establish the lack of credibility in those bogus claims as well.

Had Channel 4 stuck by their investigative journalism, they should have answered the Commissions queries. Instead the Committee comprising Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, Harsha Soza and headed by Justice S.I. Imam tore to shreds the Channel 4 program on Easter Sunday.

Just as Channel 4’s star witness “Vany Kumar” turned out to be a former LTTE, Hamsa Maulana for likely political asylum attempted to link Sri Lankan intelligence with Easter Sunday & floated the notion that the attacks were to return Rajapakses to power. To strengthen this claim, Hamsa accused Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley of being involved & colluding with the attackers so far as to even claim he arrived & visited a coconut estate to discuss the plans. However, Hamsa could not provide evidence & failed to even appear to testify.

1. Channel 4 & Hamsa attempted to Link Sri Lanka’s intelligence with Terrorist group National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) 

The Imam Committee:

• No evidence to support this claim

2. Channel 4 & Hamsa attempted to Link Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley with Easter Sunday assassins even showing blurred footage implying he met them at a coconut estate

The Imam Committee:

• Established that Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley was not in Sri Lanka & was in New Delhi.

3. Channel 4 & Hamsa attempted to float a notion of a political agenda of Rajapakses to return to power: 

The Imam Committee:

• Found this assertion baseless & mere conjecture sans facts (with the unpopularity of the yahapalana govt increasing, the 2018 local government results & sweeping victory for the SLPP clearly showed Rajapakses would return to power)

4. Non-Disclosure of sources & documentation by Channel 4 & UNHRC on Hamsa’s claims

The Imam Committee:

• Highlighted lack of transparency & raised doubts about the Channel’s motives & legitimacy of claims.

5. Hamsa’s claims against Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley 

The Imam Committee:

• Gen. Suresh Salley was not in Sri Lanka nullifying Hamsa’s story as fake & defamatory

6. Hamsa’s claims of Pillayans connection to bombings:

The Imam Committee:

• There was no credible evidence to prove such a connection & allegations were defamatory

7. Coconut Farm meeting – Hamsa claims Sri Lankan intelligence officers met attackers at a coconut estate:

The Imam Committee:

• As per police investigations, the structures mentioned by Hamsa did not exist at the time of the supposed meeting
• The Committee states that Hamsa’s story is an outright “hoax” & “unproved”

Sensationalism cannot replace truth & facts.

Channel 4 is guilty of sensationalism to steer people away from truth & facts.

Who did Channel 4 misguide or disinform?

1. The Sri Lankan general masses who easily fall for sensationalism
2. The Imam Committee even suggests that Cardinal too may have fall prey to narratives.

Lapses highlighted by the Imam Committee

1. Actionable intelligence was ignored resulting in a system-wide failure.
2. Sufficient intel was available with the people who could take action & who should have taken action.

Recommendations of the Imam Committee

1. Conducting regular Security Council meetings to assess national security
2. Intelligence units to meet & evaluate actionable intelligence
3. Hamsa to be held legally accountable & prosecuted for spreading falsehood & defaming national institutions
4. Sri Lanka’s intelligence agencies to enforce clear procedures & responsibility-sharing protocols to ensure prompt action to future threats

Imam Committee on Channel 4

The Committee refers to Channel 4 broadcast as “yellow journalism” & calls for restoring journalistic integrity by media when reporting on matters of national security, using credible sources & verifiable data instead of using journalism as a tool for harm & character assassination.

Thus, the Committee report gives a deep seated message not only for Channel 4 but local & international media vis a vis their reporting of national security issues, but also individuals in media & others who resort to using sensationalism, disinformation, misinformation & lies for political gains such as asylum & to manipulate the general public as well.

Taxpayers money has been spent on 5 reports only for Easter Sunday. It is unfair by all other victims especially throughout 30 years of LTTE terror. Cardinal has not issued one statement on investigations into LTTE crimes or those who aided & abetted these crimes.

Shenali D Waduge