Commission to probe Matale mass grave appointed

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the heads of media institutions, said yesterday, the Presidential Commission to Investigate the Matale Mass Grave has been appointed and will start work soon.

Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga, said the Commission will be headed by former Supreme Court Judge, S.I. Imam, while the other members are retired High Court Judge, Bandula Atapattu and former Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Kitulgoda.Weeratunga also said the Commission has been tasked to investigate all aspects related to the mass grave.

The Matale Magistrate’s Court concluded the skeletal remains found in the mass grave in the Matale Hospital premises belong to people who died in the period between 1986 and 1990.

Matale Magistrate, Chathurika de Silva, said she arrived at this conclusion based on the reports filed by Senior Professor, Raj Somadeva, of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology at the University of Kelaniya and Matale Judicial Medical Officer, Dr. Ajith Jayasena.