Government rejects the final report of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons.

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe says the Government rejects the final report of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons.

He said the group was appointed to monitor the activities of the special presidential commission. Speaking at a press briefing at his ministry this afternoon the minister emphasised that most of the statements of the group are false. He noted that the group always released its report targeting a meeting of the International Human Rights Council.

The minister said this gives rise to a reasonable doubt regarding the activities of the Group of Eminent Persons. The Group was appointed by the government as a fact finding mission. Minister Samarasinghe stated that the government granted all the facilities needed for the group in this endeavour. This depicts the government’s genuine desire to find the truth. Therefore he pointed out that the groups claim that the government doesn’t have a true political desire is greatly unjust. The minister added that members of the group have not actively taken part in investigations.

Also addressing the media briefing Attorney General C.R. De Silva said the claim made by the group that the involvement of the Attorney General’s Department threatened the impartiality of the investigations is ungrounded. He said the attorney general’s department had no occasion to invene in the activities of the group.