COI Chairman, Nissanka Udalagama

The video links were established in order to obtain evidence from eyewitnesses living away from Sri Lanka.

The facility was abandoned after an international expert panel appointed to monitor investigations by the COI terminated their activities.

The panel left Sri Lanka in March accusing the government of hindering the investigations.

Lawyers noted that the decision by the commission could seriously affect the authenticity of the investigation.

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.

Chairman COI Nissanka Udalagama, speaking to BBC Sandeshaya today said that this unprecedented method of obtaining evidence has to be approved by parliament in order to continue with it.

"A bill has been forwarded to the parliament today asking whether the use of a video-link can be used in order to obtain evidence for the case. The speaker will look through it and then determine whether it's possible."

Retired Judge Udalagama further said that they do not rule out the employment of video links.

"What the President's secretariat is saying is to wait until the bill is approved. Once that's done, we can go ahead with it."

Udalgama insisted that the authenticity of the investigation is not at stake as the lawyers allege. "If they tell us that we can never have a video conference for such investigations, we can say that it will hamper the investigation. However, until there is confirmation we can't go ahead."