PSC on Easter attacks gets extension till 31 Oct.

• Extension given for PSC to present final report by 31 Oct.
• Second extension granted to Committee
• PSC to record evidence from President Sirisena tomorrow 

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The House granted an extension to the term of the ‘Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the terrorist attacks that took place in different places in Sri Lanka on 21 April’ by one month in order to complete the investigation and file its final report by 31 October.

This is the second extension to be granted to the Committee.

The motion seeking the extension was moved by Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development Minister and Leader of the House of Parliament Lakshman Kiriella.  The PSC was appointed on 22 May with Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees Ananda Kumarasiri as Chairman to investigate whether law enforcement authorities had received intelligence reports relating to such attacks, prior thereto; whether the relevant authorities took adequate measures to prevent and or mitigate such attacks; whether there were deficiencies in the State machinery that led to the inability to prevent or mitigate the effects of such attacks, any other factors which contributed to such terrorist attacks and what action should be taken to prevent such attacks in future. The PSC is expected to record the evidence of President Maithripala Sirisena tomorrow at the Presidential Secretariat. He will likely be the final witness to testify before it.