The Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday recorded evidence today from a witness form his hospital bed.
The witness, Mohamed Razik Mohamed Taslim, coordinating secretary of former minister Kabir Hashim, gave evidence via a video call today before the Commission from a special bed for disabled patients.
Kabir Hashim’s Coordinating Secretary, who was living in Mawanella Udagammana, was shot in the head on 9th March 2019 by an unidentified group believed to be linked to the Easter Sunday suicide attackers.
The witness told the commission that he was shot as he assisted the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in order to uncover information regarding several incidents including the vandalism of Buddha statues in the Mawanella area.
When the Commission inquired who first informed about the damage to the Buddha statues in Mawanella, Mohamed Taslim said a relative of former Minister Kabir Hashim telephoned him on December 27, 2018 at around 5 am and informed him of the incident.
Mr. Taslim said the caller asked him to go to the vandalized place and provide the information to Minister Hashim.
The witness stated that along with the Criminal Investigation Department he went to Lacto Watta in search of an individual named Mutheef and found the individual.
When the Commission questioned whether there was any building on the land, the witness said there was a building there and the police discovered 99 detonators, digital camera, a Koran and some tents and other equipment during the search.
The Commission inquired about how he was shot. He testified that while he was sleeping in his home during the night, an unidentified person came and shot him. The witness stated that his left leg and left arm were paralyzed as a result of the shooting.
According to the Police, Mr. Taslim was known to have assisted Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives who had probed activities of an extremist group in Mawanella. Later it has been revealed that Mr. Taslim was shot by the extremist group of Saharan Hashim, the mastermind of the Easter Sunday suicide attacks.
