Colombo (TIP): Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on January 12 ordered ex-President Maithripala Sirisena and four top former officials to pay 310 million in Sri Lankan Rupee (SLR) as compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter attack for their negligence in preventing the country’s one of the worst terror strikes despite having credible intelligence from India of an imminent attack.

In its verdict, a seven-member bench ruled that the respondents had violated the fundamental rights of the petitioners. The court ordered the then president Sirisena, who was also defence minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to pay a compensation of Rs 100 million ($273,300) from his personal fund.

It also ordered former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former state intelligence services chief Nilantha Jayawardene to pay Rs 75 million rupees ($204,975) each, former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando to pay a compensation of Rs 50 million ($136,650) and former national intelligence service chief Sisira Mendis Rs 10 million ($27,330).

The court said top officials failed to act on the detailed intelligence information shared by India to avert the deadly suicide bombings. They have been ordered to pay from their personal funds to the victim fund maintained by the office of reparations. The court must be reported within six months on the payment of compensation. Nine bombers linked to ISIS attacked Catholic churches and hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people. (PTI)