Over 660 Easter Sunday attack victims paid compensation: Sri Lankan govt tells SC

Colombo, May 22 (PTI) The Sri Lankan government has told the Supreme Court that over 660 victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings have been paid compensation.

SLR 310 million (INR 88 million), more than 99 per cent of the amount received by the office of reparations meant as compensation, have been disbursed among 661 victims, the Attorney General's Department told the court on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court was hearing the fundamental rights petitions filed to observe the disbursement of compensation recovered from those found guilty of failing to prevent the attack that left 270 people dead and over 500 injured.

In January 2023, the Supreme Court ordered several former government officials, including then-president Maithripala Sirisena and state intelligence service director Nilantha Jayawardena, to compensate the victims for failing to prevent the attacks despite prior intelligence warnings.

Sirisena appointed a panel to probe the coordinated suicide bombings, which found him guilty of neglecting advance intelligence reports on the impending attack. PTI CORR PY PY PY