New presidential commission to probe Easter attacks

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is likely to appoint a new presidential commission to continue probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks which will include a member from the Catholic Church, the Daily Mirror learns.

A top government source said that Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, has been informed to nominate a member from the Catholic Church to the new commission and the government was awaiting his response.

The government source said the existing Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena will continue with its investigations into the attacks along with the investigations being conducted by the law enforcement authorities.

However, President Rajapaksa is likely to appoint another commission soon to continue further investigations.

President Rajapaksa last month met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith during which the government said, issues of mutual interest had been discussed.

On Wednesday, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Major General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne also met His Eminence at the Archbishop’s House with reports saying the two had also discussed issues of mutual interest.

On Dec. 2, President Rajapaksa met with members of the existing Presidential Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the attacks and informed the members there was an urgent need to identify the roots and modalities of these attacks.

The President further said all information relating to the attacks must be uncovered.

The President further requested the PCoI to make recommendations to prevent recurrence of such tragedies adding that maintaining national security was of utmost importance. (Jamila Husain)