🔥 Trending Who is Hemasiri Fernando? Sri Lankan Police Chief Sentenced to Death

Hemasiri Fernando is a prominent Sri Lankan civil servant and former government official, recognized for his extensive career in various high-level positions ⁷. He has served as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence and as the chief of staff to the president of Sri Lanka ¹.

Key Roles and Contributions

Fernando's career highlights include:

• Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence: In this capacity, he held a critical role in Sri Lanka's national security apparatus ¹⁷.
• Chief of Staff to the President: This position placed him at the heart of presidential administration, coordinating various governmental functions ¹.
• Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka: He led efforts to attract and facilitate investment in the country ¹.
• Secretary of the Ministry of Posts: During his tenure, he was instrumental in modernizing and integrating new technologies into the postal services ⁴.
• Commonwealth Games Federation Life Membership: Fernando was awarded life membership of the Commonwealth Games Federation, acknowledging his contributions in this domain ⁴.

Recent Public Scrutiny

Hemasiri Fernando, along with former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, faced significant public and legal scrutiny following the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka ⁷⁸. Both officials publicly acknowledged having prior knowledge of the impending attacks ⁸.

Despite these acknowledgments, their subsequent release from legal proceedings has drawn criticism, particularly from figures like Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who viewed it as an insult to the victims ⁸. Fernando's reputation is largely built on his long and distinguished career as a civil servant ⁷.