Independent legal assistance cannot be sought due to lack of funds says chairman

Chairman of the CoI, retired Supreme Court Judge Nissanka Udalagama, told BBC Sandeshaya that the probe can only get the assistance from the government lawyers due to lack of funds.

The presidential commission was appointed by president Rajapaksa to probe 15 serious rights violations including the killing of 17 aid workers in Muttur.

The mandate also includes probing the killings of five students in Trincomalee, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and Joseph Pararajasingham, MP.

Two lawyers agreed

The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) criticised the practise of lawyers from Attorney General (AG) department assisting the probe.

The transparency of the investigations, IIGEP said, is compromised due to AG department’s involvement.

Both the security forces and the Tamil Tigers are accused of committing the serious rights violations probed by the CoI.

The chairman says the CoI has no funds to recruit a separate group of lawyers independent from the government as the funds are provided by the Presidential Secretariat.

Justice Udalagama told journalist KS Udayakumar that two prominent lawyers however have accepted an invitation from the CoI.

Ranjith Abeysuriya, PC, and RKW Gunasekara agreed to assist the investigations, he added.