The blacklisting and delisting of persons and organizations were conducted after a careful study and discussions by a committee appointed to look into the matter, the Ministry of Defence clarified today.  

Issuing a statement, the Ministry said 577 individuals and 18 organizations were blacklisted in the year 2021 for financing terrorism under the United Nations Regulation No. 01 of 2012.

After a series of discussions and a careful study conducted at the Ministry of Defence by a committee consisting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General’s Department, key Intelligence Agencies, Law Enforcing Agencies, and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and based on reports and evidence with regard to the financing terrorism by individuals and organizations, recommendations were submitted for the listing and delisting.   

Accordingly, among the aforesaid 577 individuals and 18 organizations, a decision was made to delist 316 individuals and 06 organizations since they no longer continue to fund terrorist activities. 

The Defence Ministry said furthermore, that it has been decided to blacklist 55 individuals and 03 organizations those recently recognized as active in financing terrorism during the period.

Thus, forwarding the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 29, 2022, for their consent, 316 individuals and 15 organizations were blacklisted on August 1, 2022, by Extraordinary Gazette No. 2291/02.

The Ministry said such inclusions and exclusions for blacklisted individuals and organizations are routinely carried out by relevant authorities after observation and careful study over a continuous period of time. 

Relevant authorities remain to be vigilant on the activities of the delisted individuals and organizations and will ban them again if the raising of funds for financing terrorism is resumed, the Ministry of Defence added. (NewsWire)