Term of PSC to be extended?

900

The Special Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to probe the Easter Sunday attacks is looking into extending the term of the panel by another month, says Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Ananda Kumarasiri.

If the committee is unable to prepare its report on the terror attacks by the time its term is due to expire, the members will discuss the matter with Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, he commented speaking to media.

The Committee is to produce its report either within 03 months from its inaugural meeting or before the completion of the 03 months on a date set by the parliament.

On May 23rd, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the members of the Special Select Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasinghe, to probe and report on the coordinated terrorist attacks that took place on April 21.

The committee also includes Minister Rauff Hakeem, MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Minister Ravi Karunanayake, MP Ashu Marasinghe, MP Jayampathy Wickramaratne and MP M.A. Sumanthiran.

In addition to the State Minister Wijewardene, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Ports & Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayaka and Minister of Public Administration, Disaster Management & Livestock Development Ranjith Madduma Bandara are also due to record their testimonies with the panel today.

The committee has recorded testimonies from number of state officials, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief Senior DIG Nilantha Jayewardene, Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Attorney General Dappula de Livera, Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Police Special Task Force (STF) Commandant Senior DIG M.R. Latheef, Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, former Governors M.L.A.M. Hizbullah and Azath Salley, State Minister Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of Ports & Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayaka and Minister of Public Administration, Disaster Management & Livestock Development Ranjith Madduma Bandara with regard to the terror attacks on the 21st of April.