Special Commission to implement recommendations of PCoI on political victimization

A special Presidential Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization.

Supreme Court Judge Dhammika Priyantha chairs the tri-member Commission appointed by President Rajapaksa.

In addition, Supreme Court Judge Khema Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Appeals Court Judge Rathnapriya Gurusingha have also been named members of the commission.

President Rajapaksa appointed the special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to create a suitable mechanism to implement the recommendations of the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization.

The Special Presidential Commission is to submit a final report or interim report within three months after conducting investigations and imposing the necessary conclusions and recommendations.

In January 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry to inquire into political victimizations that have taken place from 2015 to 2019.

The Commission consisted of retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, retired Court of Appeal Judge Daya Chandrasiri Jayatilake, and retired IGP Chandra Fernando.

Its members were entrusted with the task of inquiring into political victimization and associated background which had taken place in the wake of investigations conducted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, FCID, CID, and the Special Investigation Unit of the Police from January 8, 2015, to November 16, 2019.

The Commission also investigated the cases of politically victimized public officers during the relevant period.

Following a newspaper advertisement, the Commission had received 1,971 complaints for investigation.

The final report of the Commission was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on the 08th of December last year. The report consisted of 3 volumes and 2,043 pages.