Sirisena asks Defence Secy, police chief to quit

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Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena

Colombo,  Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday asked for the resignation of Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara over the mishandling of the intelligence reports in the lead up to Easter Sunday’s bombings which killed nearly 360 people.

Warnings had been shared with Sri Lankan security services, including one memo addressed to the IGP, ahead of the attacks but no measures had been implemented to thwart them, CNN reported.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s opposition MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa told a press conference that he forwarded a letter to the President urging him to arrest both men.

Sirisea said on Tuesday that he had no prior knowledge of the advance warning about the suicide bombings which are claimed by the Islamic State.