Paranagama defends Missing Persons Commission

Denounces calls for its disbanding :

by Manjula Fernando

Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama yesterday vouched for the credibility of the investigations carried out by the Missing Persons Commission, which he chairs, and dismissed calls to disband it to make way for a more credible investigative mechanism.

“When we invite about 250 people for oral submissions, nearly 1000 people come, sometimes defying local leaders.

This is proof enough of our credibility,” Parangama said, adding that the people of the North who had suffered long due to the civil conflict must now be left alone to lead normal lives. “These people are so innocent. It is high time for some action to help them without pushing over political agendas,” he said

He acknowledged delays in concluding the investigations, but attributed it to the massive workload they had to cover.Paranagama said the investigation arm of the Commission comprising five retired senior police officers led by a retired High Court judge was at present compiling the first report, after interviewing ex-LTTE cadres in the North.

The Commission is to shortly undertake a second two- week stint in the North to carry out in- depth interviews, also calling over at complainants’ homes to ascertain facts.

He said calling the Commission not credible was an insult to the entire staff, including the three other commissioners, who work tirelessly from morning to night to complete the task entrusted to them.

Meanwhile, three reports mission persons, the Udalagama Commission report, the Paranagama report on the second mandate and the report by Desmond De Silva advisory panel on Missing Persons Commission, are expected to be tabled in Parliament during the course of this week.