Former Director of the Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka, Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, raising concerns regarding his unexplained transfer in 2019, which was not executed, and the obstruction of his research related to the Easter Sunday Terror attacks.
In his letter, Abeyagoonasekera drew attention to his abrupt and unexplained transfer from the Ministry of Defence following the 2019 presidential election, while he was leading crucial post-attack research analysis as the Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies.
“The manner in which this transfer was orchestrated and not carried out raises serious questions of political interference and institutional compromise. Soon after the 2019 elections, I was informed of a transfer to Berlin as Minister Counsellor, an appointment that was never executed,” he said.
He went on to note, “In a conversation with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 2 June 2024—during an interview at his residence—he disclaimed personal involvement in my transfer, attributing the decision to senior advisors. Enclosed for your attention is a letter from Gen. Kamal Gunaratne (Attachment 2). At the time, several advisors closely affiliated with the Pathfinder Foundation appeared to influence this decision. During the time of my transfer, I was instructed several times by Prof. Rohan Gunaratna to apologize to Mr. Milinda Moragoda, the founder of Pathfinder Foundation, for allegedly interfering with their research—a claim that was never explained. While Mr. Moragoda acknowledged my outreach, he offered no further comment. This sequence of events strongly suggests that internal/external strategic interests may have been at play in the termination of my work related to the Easter Sunday attacks.”
Abeyagoonasekera further raised concerns related to the Monthly Threat Forecast (MTF) he submitted in January 2019 as Director General of INSS, in which he explicitly identified a high-probability threat based on the Wanathavilluwa detonator cache.
“This document was submitted directly to the President with my signature and is cited in Volume I of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) report (pages 257, 262, and 352). I provided testimony before the Commission over two full days and submitted a 13-page report. Despite this, my contribution was only minimally referenced. Notably, the Commission acknowledged that had I received the Indian intelligence warning of 4 April 2019, it would have aligned directly with my earlier forecast, potentially enabling the prevention of the attacks,” he said.
The Former Director of the Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka appealed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to address these matters with the seriousness they warrant.
“The truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks must not remain buried in bureaucratic obfuscation and political expediency. If justice is upheld concerning my abrupt transfer, I stand ready to serve my country with integrity and commitment. Upon receipt of a formal request, I will offer my full cooperation and support to the investigation,” he added. (Newswire)
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