Sri Lankan court frees 2 officials charged over 2019 blasts

By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan court has freed two top former officials who were charged with negligence in connection with 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks that killed 260 people. Former police chief Pujitha Jayasundara and former Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Hemasiri Fernando were released Friday by the high court from charges that they failed to prevent the deadly attacks despite receiving near-specific intelligence warnings from foreign agencies prior to the attacks. Officials have charged dozens of others who are alleged to have received weapons training and participated in indoctrination classes from the two local Islamic extremist groups accused of carrying out the attacks.