Sri Lanka's former defence chief, a front-runner in next month's presidential election, said Sunday that he would empower the state's intelligence sector with necessary legal cover to help secure the country in the aftermath of the deadly Easter Sunday bomb blasts.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a powerful defence officialin the government of his brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is accused of using his intelligence team for extrajudicial killings, abductions and torture of dissidents and Tamil rebel suspects during the island nation's long civil war.
A number of former intelligence personnel are currently under detention for allegedly killing a journalist, and allegedly attempting to kill, abduct and torture others.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared in his first election rally last week that he will release all military personnel under detention if he comes to power. He is a favorite to win the November 16 election, in which national security has become the focal point.
"We will give due powers to the intelligence officers and also the necessary legal cover to perform their duties," said Rajapaksa, pledging to revive the "country's crippled defence mechanism."