President Dr Mohamed Waheed condemned in the strictest terms, the harassment caused to the Co-Chair of the Commission of National Inquiry (CONI), Justice Selvam.
“I would like to highlight that the personal attacks by some against members of the Commission, especially the attacks on co-chair Justice Selvam’s character, are not acceptable in a civilized society. I strongly condemn these attacks.”
The President made this remark while addressing the nation this morning, following the presentation of the CONI’s report.
President Waheed also expressed his sincere appreciation for the untiring efforts of each member of the Commission, the administrative staff attached to the commission, and all those who assisted the Commission in performing their duties.
Noting that the work of the Commission was initiated and conducted with the advice of the international community, the President said “It had always been of paramount importance to me to ensure that the findings and conclusions of the Commission were credible and acceptable to the people.”
The President further reiterated that the work of the Commission was conducted with utmost independence – to an extent that it would not have been possible to conduct similar work anywhere else in the world. He also reassured that he had never attempted to exert any influence on the work of the Commission, and that he had always extended his sincerest cooperation to the Commission.