Former Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs, M. H.A. Haleem yesterday told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks that although he had heard about the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) by 2014, he didn’t think it was a violent organisation.
He said so when he was asked by the Counsel representing the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, whether he had been aware of the NTJ during his tenure as Minister. Haleem also said that he didn’t know about Zahran before the Easter Sunday attacks.
Haleem said that he had not known what had happened in Kattankudy until the Easter Sunday attacks.
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen had called him on the day Dr. Segu Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi, accused of steralising women without their consent, was granted bail, and spoke mockingly, former Kurunegala SSP Mahinda Dissanayake, on Saturday morning, told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks.
Dissanayake said there were subtle interferences throughout the investigation into allegations against Dr. Shafi.
Earlier, DIG Kithsiri Jayalath, who was previously in charge of the Kurunegala District, told the PCoI that the arrest of Dr. Shafi, had led to his transfer. DIG Jayalath said Dr. Shafi was a friend of the then Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. Jayalath said that according to intelligence reports, Shafi had received money from the Thawheed Jamaath movement.