Former Intelligence Chief Fired—Years After Easter Attacks

Nilantha Jayawardena, the former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), has officially been removed from service by the National Police Commission (NPC) following a disciplinary inquiry linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Jayawardena had been on compulsory leave since July 2024 while an internal investigation was underway. A three-member tribunal found him guilty of all charges in a formal report submitted to the NPC on July 4, 2025. The result: dismissal from service.

This comes more than two years after the Supreme Court ruled that Jayawardena and several top officials had violated the fundamental rights of victims by failing to act on prior warnings about the attacks. He was ordered to pay Rs. 75 million in compensation—money that never showed up, triggering contempt of court charges last year.

The Easter bombings claimed over 250 lives and injured hundreds more. Critics now question why action took so long against a man who held one of the country's most powerful intelligence roles.

No response yet from Jayawardena. But the silence says plenty.