21 March 2019 10:10 pm
With reference to the remarks made by former MP Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara in connection with skeletal remains recovered from the Mannar grave, the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) said it had consistently been of the view that carbon dating was one of the several aspects upon which a multi-disciplinary examination and report must be made.
It said a comprehensive report must be devised based on such an approach. It said the statement made by Mr. Weerasekara he claimed that the OMP prematurely dispatched bone samples from the Mannar mass grave, contrary to advice from the forensic archaeologist.
“The decision to send the samples from the mass grave was taken by the Mannar Magistrate on the request of the investigation team headed by the Mannar JMO, which included a number of expert archaeologists. Lawyers representing the families of the disappeared too participated in the process.
The OMP believes it was important for the carbon dating test to be done at the time as it would help investigators to take stock of the evidence gathered thus far in order to consider the way forward.
The OMP is neither elated nor dismayed by the results of what is purely a scientific test, the objective of which is to ascertain the truth. The OMP remains committed to carry out its mandate of providing answers to the thousands of families across the country that await to know what happened to their loved ones,” the OMP said.