Addressing a press conference in Colombo last week, Pieris said the explosives recovered from Chavakachcheri were to be brought to Wellawatte. His pronouncements came even before the CID launched investigations into the explosives.

In his statement to the CID, Pieris had said it was Dinesh Gunawardena who instructed him on the matter. The ex-minister had said Gunawardena was scheduled to address the UPFA dissidents’ press conference in Colombo last week but at the last moment Pieris was assigned to brief the reporters.

Pieris had told the CID that Gunawardena made him aware of the recovery of explosives, among other things, and that he had no “first-hand information” over the issue.

The ex-minister, in his statement to the CID, had pointed out that opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa too made similar remarks over the recovery of explosives.

Highly placed Police headquarters sources told the Daily News yesterday that the CID would question Gunawardena and Weerawansa to ascertain the veracity of Pieris’ statement.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on Saturday after the Police questioning, Prof. Pieris stressed the need for a full inquiry into the matter.

“I merely quoted Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray’s statement that the life of President Maithripala Sirisena might be at risk, which shows that these suicide vests could have been meant for him,” Peiris said, adding that Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi should not simply dismiss this.

(dailynews.lk)