The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has decided to file a defamation complaint against recent claims made following the inquiry into the uninterrupted supply of electricity during the 2022 GCE Advanced Level Examination.

The complaint was also filed on the grounds of neglect, a statement issued by the HRCSL read, as scheduled power cuts of two hours and 20 minutes continued, despite the agreement decided upon by all parties at the said inquiry - to refrain from imposing power cuts during the period in which the exam will be held.

Accordingly, all relevant documents and certificates were also submitted to the Supreme Court today (27 Jan.), the statement confirmed.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, M. P. D. U. K Mapa, Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), M. S. Illangakoon and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the complaint.

Earlier today, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijeskera claimed that officials who took part in the discussion intend on taking legal action against officials of HRCSL, following the incident where the group was allegedly coerced into signing certain documents.

He noted that the group have already sought legal opinions pertaining to the steps required to be taken against the HRCSL members in question.

Wijesekera was informed by the Secretary to the Ministry yesterday (26 Jan.) of the incident in which the officials in question, who had taken part in the discussion, had been pressurized into signing two documents by two officials of the HRCSL, after having been threatened with jail sentences.

On Wednesday evening (25 Jan.), the HRCSL convened an urgent meeting with the top officials of the CEB, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) ,the Ministry of Power & Energy and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), during which an agreement was reached not to impose power cuts during period in which the Advanced Level examination is being held, in order to minimize the inconvenience caused to the students sitting for the exam.

The 2022 GCE Advanced Level examination began on 23 January, and is scheduled to go on until 17 February.