Major General Suresh Salai as the Director of State Intelligence has stated to Channel 4 Television that he was in Malaysia as the Ministerial Advisor to the Government of Sri Lanka and was not in Sri Lanka throughout 2018. Sri Lanka Latest News
Therefore, he has said that the allegation that he met several members of the National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) including Mohammad Hashim Mohammad Saharan in Puttalam Karadipuval area in February 2018 is baseless.
The intelligence officer asked the British broadcaster to confirm his statement with Malaysian authorities. A career diplomat, Mohideen Amsa was then (from 16.01.2016 to 28.06.2019) the Ambassador of Malaysia.
Major General Saleh told Channel 4 that on the day of the attack on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, he was in India, where he was staying at the National Defense College (NDC). It can be confirmed with the Indian authorities.
The Major General has said that he vehemently denies the claim made by Channel 4 that one of Pillaiyan’s members contacted him on the phone and advised him to choose a person outside the Taj Samudra Hotel.
According to Mr Saleh, during his entire assignment in Malaysia from December 2016 to December 2018, he only visited Colombo once a week in December 2017 to assist in an official investigation. After returning to Colombo, Mr. Saleh left for NDC in late December 2018 and returned after completing the course in November 2019. General Saleh was responding to questions from Ben de Pair, the founder of Basement Films, which has been tasked with producing a film for Channel 4 on the Easter Sunday bombings.
