The preliminary report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating the incident of political victimization in 2015-2019 was handed over to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday (02).
A total of 6,952 persons who have been allegedly subjected to administrative and political retaliation in the public and semi-public services during the period 2015-2019 have so far submitted appeals to this Committee.
The report covers investigations, observations and further action on the appeals of 1,152 persons.
The members of the committee informed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that the nature of the political revenge during the period 2015-2019 was revealed during the investigation into the appeals made to the committee.
The Prime Minister instructed the committee members that it was the responsibility of the committee to do justice to all those who had been politically retaliated against and that if the committee’s recommendations to the heads of institutions were not implemented, the Cabinet should be informed and justice should be done to the victims through the ministers in charge of the subject.
The Committee has so far examined 1,152 appeals and submitted 484 observation files to various agencies. The committee has received 372 appeals.
Although the committee has been suspended for three months due to Covid-19, 34 heads of institutions have been summoned to the committee in connection with the ongoing investigations, said Chathurika Wijesinghe, Attorney-at-Law, Secretary of the Committee for Political Revenge.
The committee was previously chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena while the other members of the committee are Ariyaratne Arumapperuma and Mahinda Seneviratne.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Secretary to the Prime Minister Gamini Senarath, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Chaminda Kularatne, members of the Committee to Investigate Political Revenge (2015-2019) A. Ariyaratne, Mahinda Seneviratne and Secretary to the Committee Chathurika Wijesinghe were also present.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
