Investigations are halted due to 'lack of commitment to pass the amendment'

Chairman of the Presidential Commission of Investigation (COI) to investigate serious human rights violations, retired Judge Nissanka Udalagama said the the inquiry is being delayed due to technical problems.

According to the Commission of Inquiry Act, Justice Udalagama said, any investigation could not be continued even if a single member of the panel fails to appear for a hearing.

Quorum added

The Commission has proposed an amendment which was approved by the cabinet of ministers and passed by the Supreme Court.

	Killing of former FM Kadirgamar is among the COI's investigations

The amendment has suggested to change the Act so that the investigation could be continued with half of the panel members attending.

"It is now forwarded to the Speaker seeking parliamentary approval," Justice Udalagama told BBC Sandeshaya.

However, the former Supreme Court Judge accused the parliament of delaying approving the amendment citing different reasons.

'No proirity'

"It appears that the matters does not seem to be a priority for them as they kept coming out with different reasons not to debate it now. Now they say it will be delayed due to budget debate," an annoyed Justice Udalagama said.

It appears that the matters does not seem to be a priority for them as they kept coming out with different reasons not to debate it now. Now they say it will be delayed due to budget debate Commissioner Udalagama

The COI expected to initiate public inquiries on 20 November expecting that amendments would be passed by then.

"We have foreign experts -from Canada and Australia for example- also participating in the enquiries. We cannot say investigations cannot be conducted due to the absence of a Commissioner," he told BBC Sinhala.com.

MP killed

He said international community might be suspicious that the government is deliberately delaying the amendment in order to delay COI's investigations.

	TNA MP was Pararajasingham was killed on a Christmas day

The COI is entrusted with investigating 15 serious rights violations including the killing of former FM Lakshman Kadirgamar, former MP Joseph Pararajasingham, 17 aid workers in Muttur and five students in Trincomalee.

"One might think that there is an deliberate attempt to delay our investigations," Justice Nissanka Udalagama said.

Government denies

However, the government denied any deliberate attempt to delay COI's investigations.

Minister in harge of human rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, told BBC Sandeshaya that the delay is due to debate on budget proposals.

	Minister says the amendment will be taken up for debate in January

He said he suggested to Chief Government Whip that the matter is taken up at the Justice ministry's budget debate.

"However, the opposition parties rejected the idea saying the matter needs to be discussed as a separate issue," Minister Samarasinghe told BBC Sinhala.com.

The amendment, the minister said, was proposed by the government realising that the decades-old exisiting Act needed to be changed to accomodate current demands.

"I can assure you that the amendment will be taken for the debate in January just after the budget debate," Minister Samarasinghe added.