Missing persons commission to expedite hearings before August
Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:40
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The three members of the commission of inquiry probing enforced disappearances will sit separately from next week to expedite the hearings, with a final extension granted by the Government until August this year to wrap up the whole process.
The commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Judge Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama, comprises retired judges Priyanthi Suranjana Vidyaratne and Mano Ramanathan.
“We are trying our best to conclude the hearings before the deadline. The three commissioners are going to sit separately in the future and hear the cases,” Justice Paranagama said.
The next sittings of the commission will be held in Trincomalee where over 250 oral submissions have been listed. The commissioners left for Trincomalee on Saturday to prepare for hearings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
According to their mandate, this commission is required to name the cases which need further inquiry and make recommendations for redress to others.
Over 19,000 applications of cases of disappearances have been received by the commission since its creation in August 2013 with 5,600 of them from relatives of missing security forces personnel.
