The term of the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) appointed to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization has been extended.

Accordingly, the term of the Presidential Commission, which was set to expire on Friday (October 29), has been given an extension of six more months until April 28, 2022.

The special commission was established by the President on January 28 this year, through the Notification published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2212/53.

Supreme Court Judge Dhammika Priyantha chairs the tri-member Commission while Supreme Court Judge Khema Kumuduni Wickramasinghe and Appeals Court Judge Rathnapriya Gurusingha serve as its members.

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.

Later, he formed a special commission of Inquiry to create a suitable mechanism to implement the recommendations of the final report compiled by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization.

This special commission was tasked with submitting a final report or interim report within three months after conducting investigations and imposing the necessary conclusions and recommendations.

However, its term was previously extended for three months from April to October. It was enlarged again in the gazette notification published yesterday.