(UTV|COLOMBO) – The Auckland-based mother and sister of one of the Sri Lankan Easter Sunday (21) suicide bombers have been “Co-operating fully” with New Zealand Police following the attacks that killed 257 people, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed was one of the terrorist bombers involved in the Easter Sunday attacks who reportedly attempted to blow up the luxury Taj Samudra Hotel in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
Mohamed is believed to have botched his attempt to detonate his bomb at the five-star hotel and instead blew himself up at a nearby budget motel, killing 2 guests who had just arrived.
According to The New Zealand Herald, 10-years ago, after his father, Abdul Latif, died, his mother, Samsun Nissa, moved the family to Colombo, renting the upper floor of a mansion in a majority Muslim Eastern suburb.
After returning from studying in Britain, he moved into the property and fell in love with their landlord’s daughter, Shifana, who came from an affluent meat-trading family.
They married before moving to Australia so he could pursue his postgraduate studies.
Mohamed’s younger sister married a Sri Lankan New Zealander and emigrated to Auckland with their mother.
Her brother, who had his first child in Australia, moved back to Sri Lanka to live in the mansion his family previously rented.
His grandfather had left him an extensive property portfolio when he died, including the family home in Kandy. As a result, the trained Aeronautical Engineer did not need to work.
“Before he died he was selling the family home,” Hidaya said.
“He obviously needed a sum of money.
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