Maithripala Sirisena completes Rs. 100 million compensation for Easter Sunday victims

Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has finished paying Rs. 100 million in compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

He paid the final Rs. 12 million on August 16, 2024, completing the total amount.

On January 12, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that Sirisena and four other officials violated the Fundamental Rights of petitioners by failing to act on intelligence that could have prevented the attacks.

The court ordered them to pay compensation to the victims. Sirisena was ordered to pay Rs. 100 million, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former SIS Director Nilantha Jayawardena Rs. 75 million each, former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando Rs. 50 million, and former National Intelligence Director Sisira Mendis Rs. 10 million.

Additionally, the Sri Lanka government was ordered to pay Rs. 1 million in compensation.

This ruling came from a seven-member Supreme Court panel in response to 12 petitions filed by individuals, including those who lost loved ones in the attacks and those injured.

On July 15, the Supreme Court ordered Sirisena, Jayasundara, and Jayawardena to complete their payments by August 30, 2024, warning of contempt of court charges if they failed.

Sirisena’s lawyers informed the court that Rs. 58 million had already been paid, but a request to extend the payment period by six years was denied.

Earlier, Sirisena had requested to pay the remaining amount in 10 installments by June 2033, but this was also rejected, and the deadline was initially set for July 12, 2023.