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Monday, September 9, 2013

Matale Mass Grave: JVP disappointed over delay


The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), said they are losing confidence in the legal process, in view of the manner in which the proceedings of the Matale mass grave issue is being conducted in Court, and alleged the legal system is dragging its feet in meting out justice to the hundreds of nameless victims whose skeletal remains were found in the mass grave.Former Provincial Council member of the JVP, Gamagedera Dissanayake, said the JVP is disappointed in the delay in delivering justice to the victims.

He said: “The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has ignored the directions given by the former Matale Magistrate, Chaturika de silva. Thereafter, she was    transferred, and the new Magistrate, Sampath Gamage,   has postponed hearing the case on two occasions.”

Dissanayake said the CID had not published an advertisement as directed by the Court, calling on the public to come forward and make claims if any,  regarding their family member/s who had gone missing during that period, nor had the CID sent the samples of the skeletons overseas to conducts tests on the same, as instructed by Magistrate de Silva.
“If no justice is meted out through the legal system, we will have to explore other avenues,” he said.

The CID however, had said it is holding back the said advertisement because the Attorney General (AG) had directed that they advertise, once they are informed, as to which period the skeletons belong to, and which information they are yet to receive from overseas.
CT