Muttur killings: Bodies to be exhumed

MUTTUR: The Additional Magistrate Muttur and Trincomalee yesterday allowed an application by the CID for the exhumation of the bodies of aid workers killed in Muttur in August.

This will be done under judicial supervision, enabling the Judicial Medical Officer to conduct further forensic examination to unearth any additional material which would be useful for the conduct of further investigation by the CID, a Government news release said.

Consequent to a report received by the Police on 06.08.2006 relating to the killing at Muttur of 17 NGOs belonging to a French Aid Organization, the Government promptly ordered a full scale investigation by the CID, and the DIG/CID, Asoka Wijetilleka has been entrusted with the direct supervision of its progress.

Since the receipt of the report about these killings, the Government has been receiving requests from various organisations, both local and foreign, that the bodies should be disinterred for further examination by a group of local and foreign forensic experts whose expertise can be used in successfully solving the crime involved.

Given the grave nature of the killings and the other related issues such as the alleged violations of human rights the Government required the Inter Ministerial Committee on Human Rights headed by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe to explore the possibility of obtaining the assistance of such a group of forensic experts drawn both from the related local and foreign fields.

Accordingly the Australian Government has expressed their willingness to assist the Sri Lankan Government in its endeavours.

Meanwhile, being mindful of the traditional beliefs and customs attached to the obsequies and the respect for the dead, the CID inquired from the next of kin of the 17 families of the deceased about their consent to proceed with a legal and judicial process of exhuming the bodies for further examination by the forensic experts. Only two families have consented to the exhumation and the others have expressed their displeasure to do so.

Accordingly the CID on 13.09.2006 has obtained a Court Order from the Additional Magistrate Muttur and Trincomalee to exhume the bodies of the two, for which the next of kin have given consent and arrangements are underway to exhume these bodies under judicial supervision for the Judicial Medical Officer to conduct further forensic examinations.

Conforming to its commitment to observing transparency in all matters relating to good governance and its wish to preserving and fostering the independence of the judicial process, the Government has issued a further directive that the CID should apply to the Magistrate having the jurisdiction for an order to exhume all 17 bodies so that the bodies can be examined for further possible evidence by the forensic experts.

Acting on the directive, the CID moved the Additional Magistrate, Muttur under Sec. 373 (2) of the Act No. 15 of 1978, Criminal Procedure Code, for an order for exhumation of the remaining 15 bodies. The Court has since allowed the application of the CID and ordered the exhumation of the remaining 15 bodies under judicial supervision, enabling the Judicial Medical Officer to conduct further forensic examination.