Lanka police under investigation over bail to nine Easter attack suspects

Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into any lapses on part of the police which led to bail being granted to nine workers of a copper factory owned by a suicide bomber of the Easter terror attacks.

The nine employees, arrested from the factory at Wellampitiya in Colombo suburb on April 22 in connection with the attacks, were granted bail this week by the Colombo Magistrate's Court due to lack of documents, and it was alleged that police may have erred by not filing the case under the anti-terrorism law.

While granting bail, the court said the Wellampitiya Police had failed to mention the offences the suspects were alleged to have committed.

The copper factory, where the nine suspects were working, was owned by Mohamed Ibrahim Insaf Ahmed, the suicide bomber at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, one of the three hotels that was attacked.

While the factory owner blew himself up at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, his brother was one of the two bombers at the Shangri La Hotel.

Another suicide bomb attack at their Colombo apartment had killed the wife of the Shangri La bomber when security forces raided the house within a few hours of the attacks which claimed over 250 lives and injured 500 others.

It was suspected that bombs had been packed at his factory.

The investigation into any lapses by police is being conducted by the Police Special Investigations Unit (SPIU).

"There will be an investigation into any police lapses," Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.