Sarath Weerasekara Writes to Retired Military Officers’ Association President
21-Jun-2026.
Former Minister Sarath Weerasekara has urged the President of the Retired Military Officers’ Association to issue a public statement condemning the alleged treatment of former State Intelligence Service Chief Suresh Sallay while in detention and to call for him to be treated with dignity until proven guilty in a court of law.
In a letter addressed to the Association’s President, Weerasekara stated that the alleged torture of military personnel would only please overseas Tamil organisations that, according to him, adhere to the ideology of the LTTE.
The letter states that Suresh Sallay was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on February 25 on suspicion of links to the Easter Sunday attacks and has since been held in detention.
It further alleges that Sallay is currently receiving treatment at the National Hospital due to torture and mistreatment suffered while in custody.
Weerasekara noted that military personnel from different branches had fought together to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity and that mutual trust and comradeship had been instrumental in defeating the LTTE.
He described Sallay as a colleague who had dedicated his youth, time and energy to intelligence operations aimed at defeating terrorism.
The former minister argued that retired senior officers continue to serve as role models for younger officers and questioned whether the bonds of loyalty forged during service should disappear upon retirement.
According to the letter, Sallay was named a suspect in the Easter Sunday investigation based on a statement given by Azad Maulana to Britain’s Channel 4.
Weerasekara claimed that Maulana is a former LTTE member and an ISIS sympathiser who has sought political asylum in Switzerland and is the subject of two open warrants.
The letter further states that a CID delegation travelled to France and recorded a statement from Maulana at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Paris, following which Sallay was arrested.
Weerasekara described it as deeply troubling that Sallay, who had played a key role in dismantling LTTE networks while serving in Paris, was arrested under anti-terrorism laws based on the testimony of a former LTTE member.
He also referred to a committee inquiry which, according to him, found Maulana’s allegations against Sallay to be entirely false.
The former minister called for a public statement condemning Sallay’s alleged treatment in detention and urged the Government to ensure that he is accorded due respect while legal proceedings are ongoing.
