Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, testifying before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the Easter Sunday attacks, yesterday said former ‘Yahapalana’ Government should take the responsibility for the attacks as it was not a sudden incident but something, which had developed over a period of time.
He said that although State Intelligence Service (SIS) had forwarded intelligence information received from abroad on a possible attack, the SIS had not confirmed it with their information. The intelligence information forwarded by the SIS had no prior warning regarding the number of suicide bombers in the NTJ and terrorist mastermind Zahran was identified as an extremist preacher and not as a terrorist, he said.