Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri (AK) (Chairman): Let me clarify why we have called you. And to remind you that you can request to give evidence without the presence of the media. The committee also has the right to request any document necessary and providing false information at this stage will be considered an offence. You have forwarded us written statements regarding an article that appeared in the paper.
Give us an introduction about your political career.
Rishad Bathiudeen (RB): (Gives a synopsis of his political background). There was a No-Confidence Motion brought against me.Ten claims including my links to the terrorists. They had alleged that I was connected to the terrorist incidents. I myself made a request to be called before the PSC. I also sent my explanations regarding these allegations.These allegations are very serious and even the Police announced that a two weeks period was given to lodge complaints against me. Some had complaints while others had not. I would like to say that those who were involved in the terrorist attacks that took place on Easter Sunday and Zahran who led the attacks is not known to me. I have never seen him. I have no links with him. And I am of the opinion that those connected to him should be given maximum punishment. Representatives of our party visited the Cardinal and expressed our condolences and said that we would give maximum support to those who were injured. Not only that, all Muslim MPs, ministers and civil society representatives sat at one venue and vouched that we would support all efforts against terrorism. Although those who were connected to the bomb attacks are known as Muslims, they are only so by name. It does not say anywhere in our religion to do such kind of things.
Ravi Karunanayake (RK): Do you believe in the work of the ISIS?
RB: In Islam it says that killing one person is to kill an entire community. So that is a grievous sin, regardless of the religion of the dead. I think we need to set aside religious and political differences to work together on this cause.
RK: There are allegations that you used your institution, Sathosa and its vehicles
RB:When I took over Sathosa, there were only a few outlets, now we have grown.During the 52 days I was invited to join the government. I refused to support them and since then they have levelled allegations including citing that Sathosa vehicles were used to transport and for terrorist activities. But no one went and complained against it. They should have lodged a Police complaint which they did not. But I went to police, and I lodged complaint against those two parliamentarians.I gave video footage and S.B. Dissanayake and Wimal Weerawansa are the ones who made these allegations. Only after I came that GPS was fixed as some vehicles had got excess overtime.There were more than 100 vehicles being used and some were idling while OT was claimed. At the same time, I would like to state that I have never supported any such extremist activities.
RK: There is an Alahudeen of your party.
RB: Alahudeen was a member of our party. But he is a businessman and he said he cannot continue as the Treasurer of the party, so I appointed someone else. When this incident happened, I asked him and he said he had gone to Mannar, he has a daughter and two sons. He had told his wife that he is going to Zambia and he had gone to the airport with his wife who dropped him. After that, in the night they had got a message he was in Dubai and in the morning that he was in Kenya and that he would call from Zambia. Only two days after the bombings that his wife found out that he had lied to them and had not been to any country.His wife has four children and she had gone to the police station and helped his wife to hand over the voice recording.When I asked him he said he didn't know about his son-in-law and his wife did not know about her husband's connection.He said he didn't know about his son-in-law. Intelligence officials will tell you more about it.
Dr.Nalinda Jayatissa (NJ): One of the main allegations is that you had interfered with investigations. One incident is that you had given a phone call to the Army Commander. And the one who was arrested was a son of the advisor to the Muslim Affairs Ministry. The father of the person who had been arrested should have had spoken.
RB: Mohideen is a special grade officer and had gone on pension.When the President was the Agriculture Minister, he had worked in that ministry as well. In those days, when 1000 people were chased away from Puttalam, he served so many people who sought protection. I had known him from that day. He sent me an sms that some individuals had taken his son away and when I asked him if he checked with police, the OIC said that he had not done anything wrong and to lodge a complaint. Police had told him that the son was not with them.They directed him to the STF. The STF had said that they didn't have his son. He came to my house on 27th and he cried and asked me if his son was alive.That is his eldest son aged 23. So I called Dehiwala OIC who told me that they were searching him.I called DIG Wickremasinghe and asked if they arrested him and he said no. I then called the Army Commander, but he said he will check and let me know. If the Army Commander said that he didn't arrest him I would not have bothered him. The father was still there and so I called the second time. I called him on 28th and he told me that the son was under their custody and would hand him over to the TID. After that I didn't ask further about that.When I knew the sons were living, we didn't speak about it thereafter. So his request was for me to find out where they were that is why I spoke to the Army Commander.
NJ: Did you speak to the minister in charge? Or the IGP?
RB: No.The President is the Defence Minister so I didn't speak to him. I spoke to the state minister and didn't get a reply.
NJ: The papers reported that the Army Commander said for you to call in one and half years.
RB: Although he said so, it is not relevant to me. I did not ask anyone to release that boy.
NJ: When the Army Commander said to call him after one and half years, if he had asked you that is not the answer he would have given.
RB: When someone comes to me and requests me to help him find out where his children were.
NJ: We know the reply Army Commander gave but we don't know the question.
RB: 2500 Muslims were arrested by that time. So if I called about just one Muslim, it means that there was a reason. His father was an educated person and just wanted to know if his sons were alive. All the forces got together and collaborated. I commend the valuable service they had given to this country. To find people in Sainthamaruthu and we could catch people in a short period of time and those who were responsible were arrested.
NJ: As far as you know did anyone else speak to IGP about it?
RB: Haleem said he had spoken to the IGP.
Sarath Fonseka (SF): Yesterday when the Army Commander was here, I asked him if he was joking. I also felt it was a mismatched reply that you had given.
Dr.Ashu Marasinghe (AM): Do you know the Army Commander before this?
RB: No I got to know him after he took over duties. I have spoken to the Commander to request him to give extra protection for mosques.This was also a request made to me. Apart from this, I had never spoken to him on any matter.
AK; Some allegations have been made regarding these industries. The secretaries had made some statements.
AM: Ahamed Yusuf Ibrahim, do you know him?
RB: Ibrahim is the president of the Colombo Traders Association, I know him through his business activities.
AM: In what way have you had contacts with him?
RB:He had come to me for official discussions and a photograph was taken and allegations were leveled at me over this.
AM: There is a photo in the newspaper, Ibrahim is close to you.
RB: First of all I would like to say that I welcome anyone who comes to talk to me as I was a subject minister. Ibrahim was not employed by me. He visited me with 10 or 12 other officials. This is the first ministerial meeting of the Association. They discussed and requested that the tax which is charged should be increased.
AM: Do you know his sons?
RB: I knew one son because I attended the wedding of that son. Alahudeen was the deputy treasurer.
AM: During functions, weddings,
RB: Our secretary has revealed who my advisors are and others in my staff. I have had this advisor for many years and Aziz is my coordinating secretary.
AM: Colossus, scrap copper was handed to this company in large hauls. For you to give this did you give permission?
RB: Lal Kantha when he was the subject minister, he had given permission through an advisory and sanctioned through Cabinet approval. Douglas Devananda further strengthened these industries. Since the incident, IDB in reports revealed that some connection with these incidents. A committee was appointed and a report, evidence was taken. In that report. It says that nothing had been done outside the relevant procedures. I will submit this to the committee.
Through newspaper advertisements, we ask for registrations and once they are registered, the committee decides to which company to give to which company.
AM: There is another allegation against you that the spices business, Ibrahim was supported by you.
RB: Even when I was schooling, Ibrahim was known as a spice trader. Allegations and accusations were made against me that I had supported them in the Salakuna program. They had not been given any support. He personally never asked me to support him. He only came to official meetings and never met me in a personal capacity. He had never made any request personally. Our secretary is the chairman of the tender board.There are many suppliers, I think there are a number of suppliers and I have to find out how the tender board had given these tenders.
AM: I asked if you had made influence in giving these tenders.
RB: I have never been involved in issuing any tenders in these occasions an I have no connection to it at all.
NJ: Regarding this terrorist organization, even you mentioned that Moulavi and some people had made allegations against these groups. It was mentioned that 50 people who had received terrorist training had come to Sri Lanka fromTurkey.
RB: The same politician levelled these allegations against me and said the same about the Sathosa vehicles. But I am not aware of these things. These are untrue.
NJ: When did you come to know there is a certain extremist group existing?
RB: It was after this incident that I came to know of Zahran and his activities. It was after this incident that I came to know. He does not engage in powerful political activities. He comes from Ottamattu in Kalkudah. We got one seat there only.
NJ:Some Muslim organizations and a moulavi had given information to security forces are you aware?
RB: After this incident only I came to know.
NJ: So from your end you had never given any information?
RB: In Islam it is not taught one should engage in such activities. In our religion we should not do this. Some Muslim levelled allegations against this. In our Quran, to your religion and to me mine. Even with the religion there is some difference between the sects. I am not going to concern myself with it. I am only a politician. Zahran is not a moulavi and is not a religious leader. He is a person who had not got a proper education. People say that he is a moulavi and he is not. Other persons who were connected to this were wealthy and educated. But I didn't know until the incident happened.
NJ: Hizbullah functioned as deputy minister while being in your party.
RB:He resigned in 2015, I supported President Maithripala and on that occasion he resigned and supported Mahinda Rajapaksa. From then onwards we didn't have any connection with him.
NJ: My questions is this. He is based in Kattankudy, it is here that these terrorist groups also developed. You say that your party was not reported with that regard but there are some people who had given information.
RB: We did not have any political activities in Kattankudy. It is in 2010 that we began our party and we had two MPs now we have 160 members.This is a new party which has grown gradually. After 2015,he did not have any political connection with us. It is during a short period of time Zahran's activities developed.
NJ:So these members who contested the election are said to have had some agreements with Zahran?
RB: I asked our members and they said that no such MoU was signed.
AM:You said you never met Zahran?
RB:No I have not met.
AM: Recently I saw a photo where you are with him.
RB: I also saw the photo in the media. A religious monk had mentioned I was with Zahran. It is not Zahran in 2017 October 15, In Imaniya college in Thihiriya and it is on this occasion that this photo was taken. This photo is shown to prove that I was with Zahran. This is Nisthar. He has sent a letter to me.The monk has mentioned so. This is Nisthar and a complaint had been made to Police headquarters and he has categorically mentioned that his photo is his. These are false allegations they are showing the photo of Nisthar to say that I was with Zahran.
RK: I see there is some sort of character assassination. Here is it mentioned that Alahudeen's daughter and that family is connected to you.
RB: My mother has no brother. She had one but he died. So these allegations are false. In Dematagoda, Alahudeen did not die, Alahudeen's daughter is among the living. I also don't know who the woman is who committed suicide by exploding herself.
RK: Have you filed cases?
RB: I have sent letters of demand.Every day there are media reports that carry false information on me.
RK: You are a Muslim leader. You know that Buddhist, Hindu, religious people died. Have you any sort of programme to prevent any sort of activities. De-redicalization.
RB: I am the only member who has been seriously attacked by terrorist attacks. I was not able to live in my hometown, we could have gone to India 20 km was the distance. Those days we were undecided as to where to go, as we loved our country, we didn't go and stayed in our country as homeless people. I know the agony from terrorist activities. A lady who was carrying one and half year old died in a certain journey when they were trying to escape. In 2009, Sarath Fonseka led the fight and it helped us achieve peace. We got so at the cost of the lives of so many soldiers. I removed landmines, I resettled people. My ministry had been assigned the task of resettling people. I was able to launch a big programme to do a good service to my country. Right from the day terrorism started, so many lives were lost.You know that tourism has collapsed, economy has collapsed. I am aware as the minister who did some service to develop our business how much this effort was made by our people to bring the economy to a good state. Some levelled false allegations and I can't understand what they expect.
So when the 52 day government was formed, I did not support them. It may be due to that reason that I am being targeted here.These people may not be Islam adherents. No Muslim will engage in such activities. We should meet other religious leaders and I appreciate the service of the Cardinal. As a Muslim political leader, I condemn these terrorists and at the same time I beg pardon from society with regard to these activities. I also wish a speedy recovery to those who got injured to get well soon. Some political parties try to gain political mileage, they try to win elections through this. All those connected should be arrested and punished.
There are so many moulavis in our religion and they are willing to extend their support to eliminate these terrorist acitivities. All the allegations which were levelled against me are false.
Police made a request that if I am connected to terrorist acitivities there should be complaints but no one complained. Those who signed the No Confidence Motion did not make complaints against me. They did not have evidence against me. They are taking mileage of it. We don't need any terrorism again. We don't know the objective of these activities.When we think of those who were involved we can't imagine what their objectives may have been. We should have a programme to eliminate these activities.
RK: These maybe Muslim hardliners, churches were attacked. The word ISIS is not spoken here?
RK: You have the responsibility to reject Wahabism?
RB: Terrorism has no place in Islam. Terrorism is not tolerated in Islam. If there are such people they should be punished.
RK:There was news that you had land in Wilpattu, you had the ownership of many acres.
RB: After this incident there was again the talk of Wilpattu. After 2015 no land was given to those who were resettled in northern areas. During the 2012 and 2013 period,people were resettled, the previous government appointed a committee, there were GA, forest officials, land commissioners, surveyor general, army commander, navy commander, there was a task force which comprised of these and the committee made a plan as to how people can be resettled. No family was resettled within the Wilpattu area. It is after the war in 2012 that people were resettled. The officers whom I mentioned were included in that committee to resettle people.They were resettled in the Mannar district.The President appointed a four member committee, an additional secretary Boralessa, four member committee and in 2017 this report of the committee was issued, it is available in the library. It is mentioned that people were not resettled. Wilpattu belongs to the Anuradhapura district. False information is published with regards to Wilpattu. After this government came to power no one was allowed to be resettled in Wilpattu. No family who was resettled was given any land, when Sarath Fonseka was the Wildlife Minister.
SF: I want to make an explanation.This story of 3000 acres is a different story. What is in Northern Province there is a strip of land called buffer zone, and it was not marked in the survey plan and people were not resettled there. In the buffer zone there maybe private facilities, paddy fields. Seven people had built houses and action was taken against them. After the case was filed, these people had abandoned lands.This member did not have any involvement in this regard.
NJ:Are you aware that the Auditor General had issued a report of resettlement in Pullathikulam that 47 had not been resettled in this area in seven years.
RB: I am not the Resettlement Minister at the moment. In 2013 and 2014, I was also a refugee. When I was the minister I worked with this Task Force. After 2014, there were other ministers and public officials and they were in charge of resettlement.The Kallar wildlife reserve
I also read this report and it was prepared by two people.We need to consult them. A certain NGO had The report completes is complete when it over
Dr Rajitha Senaratne (RS): its is usually one sided. They put headlines.
NJ: Does 3000 acres in Wilpattu belong to you and there are complaints against you?
RB: In 2015 there were such complaints.In this allegation they said 3000 acres and one time 6 to 7000 and yesterday 8000. I or my family doesn't have 8000 or 7000 or 3000 acres. I ask you to investigative and if we have as such, to take it to the government.
AM: How much do you have
RB: 55 acres. I was told I have an island.To which I say please take it. These are attempts to tarnish my name.These are allegations sans any evidence.These MPs should prove it.
RK: Who is that minister?
RB: S.B.Dissanayake
AK: Do you have anything else you want to say?
RB: I want to say that my brother was arrested and this was reveled in the media. The Divaina paper of April 27 said that my brother evaded questioning by police. But my brother was not arrested. In Mannar a search operation was conducted by the Police and the Tri-Forces on the 25th. In that instance my brother had been in vehicle and his vehicle was checked. Even my house was checked.There was a statement that nothing suspicious was found in his vehicle. Derana media put out an alert on 26th at 3pm that Minister Rishad Bathiudeen's brother had been taken into custody over the Easter Sunday attacks and handed over to the Army, in a Ada Derana news alert. After 30 hours and within half an hour, Minister Rishad's brother who was handed over to Police was released after questioning. So within half an hour the Army had arrested him and handed him to police. The Divaina says 27th. But this search happened on the 25th in the noon. I asked to check with the police what actually happened. The police sends me a letter that the mainstream media that he had requested a statement from the police. On April 25, there was a search of the WP-KK Prado and Police had searched it and Hussain, Mohammed Rifkan my brother, Ashan Lebbe were questioned. At this instance, nothing suspicious was found in the vehicle or among the individuals. And they were released. It happened on the 25th. Acting IGP C.D.Wickremaratne sends the letter.
I also have a family, I also have kids who go to school. I have a political party. At a time like this when the community is so badly affected and when media reports publish fake news, it affects us badly. I ask this be revealed and this committee must question these individuals on why they carried this false news. Even that showing of the photo, of someone else and saying that its the bomber Zahran.
NJ: Was a secretary of your ministry arrested with six detonators?.
RB: I have no such secretary in such a place. That is also another lie.But that Hanoon, I checked the B report, he was a Pradeshiya sabha member of our party. 2400 were arrested on suspicion. Not Hanoon but Sanoos. It's in the B report that he was read after being questioned.
RS: Did it come out in the media?
RS: No.
AM: Enderamulla house, three, out of your family members?.
RS: I had three members, one died of cancer, another in living in Canada and another teaching in Kurunegala.My sister does not have a house in Wattala. Her husband's house was once there and was given out on rent. I found out at that time my sister's husband, through ikman.lk had put the house for rent with a Rs. 75,000 lease agreement. It is normal to put on websites and paper. It was neither my sister nor her husband, it was done by her husband's relation. It was not on my approval that his house was given. It has nothing to do with me or my sister. (MP Sarath Fonseka said that once a person who cooked meals for him was the one who tried to kill him.If he couldn't find out, that his cook tried to kill him). Sister's husband's relation had given it on rent.
SF: My house had a cook, when I was the fifth in the Army. I had never seen him.I had never gone to the kitchen. Until I was the second in command, he served. He later met with an accident and had met LTTE people in hospital. When I was in Jaffna at that time.
RS: Don't you think these repeated allegations, Muslim character assassination and their links to the terrorist outfits, resulting in clashes, shops being set on fire are because of these allegations.
RB:These are false allegations that have caused a rift between communities.There are some monks who appear on television daily for this purpose. While there are a good monks in this country, there are others who are on contract for this purpose. Continued allegations have led to the torching of Malwana shops. 457 houses were torched.Seven were injured and one was killed.These are akin to the same terrorists who unleashed the Easter Sunday attacks. The Panduwasnuwara person is not responsible for the Easter attacks. 33 mosques were damaged.
Rishad not linked to any terrorist activity - Acting IGP
Lahiru Fernando
Police investigations against former Minister, MP Rishad Bathiudeen so far have not revealed any of his connections with the Easter Sunday attack or any other terrorist activity, Parliament Select Committee (PSC) probing Easter Sunday attack was told yesterday.
Chairman and Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri announced this yesterday quoting a letter sent by acting IGP, Senior DIG Chandana Wickramaratne to Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake on June 23.
According to the letter, the CID, FCID and Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau (CFIB) are conducting investigations into the complaints received by the Special Committee set up at the police headquarters to receive complaints against MP Bathiudeen and Governors M.L.A.M. Hizbullah and Azath Salley and no evidence has been found so far to link Bathiudeen to any terror activity including the April 21 attack.
Salley angry over Hajj Committee refusal - Haleem's brother
Lahiru Fernando
Former Muslim Affairs Minister, MP M.H. Abdul Haleem’s brother M.H.Fahim denied allegations leveled against him by former Western Province Governor Azath Salley at the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing Easter Sunday attack on June 11.
The ex-Governor during his interrogation said that it was the former Muslim Affairs Minister Haleem’s brother, Fahim, who directly assisted NTJ to expand and conduct their operations without a hindrance.
Appearing before the PSC for hearings yesterday, Fahim said the former Governor had made such an allegation against him as Haleem, who was the Muslim Affairs Minister rejected Salley's request to appoint him to the Ministry’s Hajj Committee.
“I have no connection or membership with those organizations. Any of the recently banned organisations have not even registered with the Muslim Affairs Department,” Fahim told the PSC.
(Daily News)