In the gazette notification, the President, who gave a statement to the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the Easter Sunday attacks on Friday (20) noted that "a large number of complaints and allegations have been made against persons, who were public servants/officers, who are alleged to have direct or indirect connections" with the April 21 suicide bomb attacks."It is imparative [sic] to ensure that the law should be implemented against those who are directly or indirectly responsible for those attacks," the President stated.
"I am of the opinion that it is in the best interest of public security and welfare to cause the conduct of investigations and inquiries into such complaints, allegations and information, in order to ascertain what measures should be taken to provide far and ensure that the law is appropriately enforced and wrong doers dealt with in terms of the law and that there will be no recurrence of such alleged acts and / or omissions, negligence or failure to perform duties amounting to offences and abuse or misuse of power or authority."
The President said he is of the view that it is necessary that a Commission of Inquiry be appointed to investigate and inquire into and report or take necessary action on the matters.Accordingly the Commissioners are appointed to investigate and inquire into, take necessary action to enable future legal actions, and report on the incidents.Among other things, the Commission is tasked to hold prompt, impartial, complete investigations and inquiries regarding complaints, information and other materials on the attacks, and identify persons and organizations who are directly or indirectly connected to these terrorist acts.
Further the Commission is tasked to identify officers and all authorities responsible who failed to pre-determine that a terrorist and extremist activities and who failed or neglected to take action according to law and not taking proper actions in this regard.The Commission is required to conduct the necessary criminal and forensic investigations and inquiries and the submit its first interim report to the President within three months and thereafter, subsequent interim reports once in two months, and the final Report within six months.The relevant Extraordinary Gazette Notification can be accessed here for a full description of the Presidential Commission's functions.