Foreign Ministry clarifies....

COLOMBO: The Foreign Ministry in a release yesterday said the recent media reports which claimed that a part of a human body found off ungkudutheevu as belonging to Rev. Fr. Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown are incorrect.

The release:”further to its media release dated April 17, 2007 on the investigations into the discovery of a part of a human body found off Pungkudutheevu, which some interested parties claimed to be that of Rev. Father Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify the following:

Following a Post-Mortem examination into the human remains found at Pungkudutheevu on March 14, 2007 conducted in pursuance of a magisterial order by a Senior professor in Forensic Medicine of the Colombo University, the Molecular Medicine Unit of the Kelaniya University conducted the DNA analysis in this regard and has forwarded its report to the Kayts Magistrate.

According to the DNA analysis, the human remains found are not of either Rev. Fr. Jim Brown or his aide Vincent Vimalathas who is also said to have disappeared along with Rev. Brown. Therefore, it is evident that certain recent media reports, which claimed the body as belonging to Rev. Brown are incorrect.

The CID is investigating into the disappearance of Rev. Fr. Brown. His disappearance is one of the cases scheduled to be investigated into by the Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate and inquire into alleged serious violations of Human Rights, the release said.