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Sinhala nationalist lawmaher and leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), Udaya Gammanpila, has accused the Dissanayake-led government of weakening Sri Lanka’s intelligence sector, warning that such reckless interference poses a “severe national security risk”.
Speaking at a media conference on last week, Gammanpila warned that the country’s intelligence agencies were being dismantled for “political gain”, leaving the country vulnerable to future threats.
“This is not a political game—this is about the safety of the nation,” Gammanpila claimed. “If we do not act now, we will be forced to spend another ten years searching for a ‘mastermind’ after another disaster strikes.”
Gammanpila claimed that the government had removed 13 senior intelligence officers from key positions, in what he described as a “politically motivated” reorganisation of Sri Lanka’s intelligence hierarchy. He specifically criticised the appointment of Colonel Neville Attanayake, a junior officer facing five disciplinary charges, as the Director of Intelligence, at the expense of more experienced officials.
Several of Sri Lanka’s most seasoned intelligence officers have been either removed from their posts or relegated to irrelevant roles, including:
• Brigadier Chandika Mahathanthila, the former Director of Military Intelligence, stripped of his responsibilities. • Brigadier Prabodha Siriwardena, one of Sri Lanka’s most highly trained intelligence experts, reassigned to the military band in what Gammanpila called a “disgraceful” transfer. • Brigadier Shiran Amit, sent to rehabilitation, while other skilled intelligence officers were moved to disaster management and headquarters duties.
• Seven senior colonels, including Senaka Muthukumarana, Kelum Maddumage, Mohamed Anser, Sagara Costa, and Jayantha Shelton, were reassigned to peripheral military institutions, effectively stripping the intelligence sector of its senior leadership.
Gammanpila further denounced the appointment of Major General Deeptha Ariyasena from the Mechanical Engineer Corps—an officer with no intelligence background—as the head of national intelligence, calling it “historically disgraceful”.
“Intelligence transitions should be handled like a relay race, where outgoing officers work alongside incoming officers to ensure continuity. However, this government has recklessly abandoned that process, leaving the country dangerously vulnerable,” warned Gammanpila.
He cited the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019—which resulted in the deaths of over 250 people—as an example of what happens when intelligence agencies fail to function properly. He cautioned that the Dissanayake administration’s mishandling of intelligence personnel could set the stage for another devastating attack.
Gammanpila concluded his statement by warning the government that tampering with intelligence agencies for political gain would have long-term consequences.
“The government is playing with fire,” he said.
The PHU is an ultra-nationalist Sinhala political party, headed by Gammanpila, a seasoned Sinhala Buddhist extremist.