Don't torture my husband - A letter from Sale's wife to the President

Against the backdrop of former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), retired Major General Suresh Salley, being named as the third suspect in case No. 35882/24, currently being heard at the Fort Magistrate's Court by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in relation to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, his wife has submitted a special written request to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Through the relevant letter submitted to the President last week by Mrs. S.B.M.S.B. Salley, she has requested an independent investigation into allegations that her husband, who is in detention under the Criminal Investigation Department, is being subjected to torture and ill-treatment. She also requested the President to intervene to release him from detention or, if that is not possible, to transfer him to a remand prison under judicial supervision. She further emphasized in her letter that she had previously complained about this to the Inspector General of Police and the Senior Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, but received no response, which is why she directly brought the matter to the President.

His wife had previously expressed deep concern that proper legal procedures were not followed during the detention of Suresh Salley under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Regarding the refusal to allow food from home, his son being denied the opportunity to visit his father due to delays in police clearance certificates, and CID officers attempting to record discussions using mobile phones during lawyer meetings, thereby violating attorney-client confidentiality, a motion was also filed in the Fort Magistrate's Court by the panel of lawyers including President's Counsel Anuja Premaratne, Rasik Balasuriya, Asith Siriwardhana, and Bhanuka R. Malaviarachchi, seeking relief.

Meanwhile, rejecting the allegations against Suresh Salley regarding the Easter attacks, the argument put forward by Udaya Gammanpila and others that he was serving in a foreign embassy during the relevant period, has collapsed due to a statement made by Mr. Wimal Weerawansa during a live television program. With Mr. Weerawansa's revelation that Sri Lankan intelligence officers use multiple passports, the evidence revealed during the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena, stating that Salley had come to Sri Lanka and met the attackers during the planning of the attack, has been further corroborated. It is also noteworthy that a charge of obtaining fake passports against Mr. Weerawansa is currently being heard in court.

Based on a statement made by an informant connected to Army Intelligence that the numbers related to phone calls made by Suresh Salley could not be called back during the investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department regarding him, a new investigation has also been launched into a technical method of displaying fake phone numbers. According to a report submitted by Senior Deputy Inspector General Lalith Pathinayake dated May 20, 2019, it was revealed that individuals connected to the Easter attacks had also used 39 such phone calls displaying fake numbers. With the recognition that organized crime groups are currently using the same method, the CID is conducting a further extensive investigation into the matter.