Eyewitness says Govt. forces were in charge at the time of the incident

The witness, who did not want to be identified, told the commmission to investigate serious rights violations that his brother informed over the phone on 03 August that the forces have surrounded his offices.

17 workers of French charity, Action Against Hunder (ACF) were killed in Muttur on 2006 August 04.

Witness 'lying'

The brother of the witness, identified as Jaseetharan, was among the aid workers killed.

However, the counsel appaering on behalf of the security forces, Gomin Dayasiri, accused the witness of lying.

We have found that the work of the commission of inquiry has been handicapped by this lack of support and it's not for me to say that this is an intentional whitewash on the part of the Government IIGEP member, Gene Dewey

There was no mention before, mr. Dayasiri told BBC Sandeshaya, that the security forces were in charge in the town on 04 August and it is highly malicious that the accusation emerges after two and a half years.

The Commision headed by Retd. Supreme Court justice Nissanka Udalagama investigates 15 serious rights violations including the killing of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and Tamil parliamentarian, Joseph Pararajasingham.

International Imminenat Group that was appointed to monitor the hearings, IIGEP, said the inquiry was ;handicapped' due to lack of support from the government.

A leading human rights group, UTHR, said it has found evidence that police and security forces were responsible for the killings.