The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has successfully located 16 individuals reported missing since 2000, out of approximately 6,000 inquiries completed since December 2022.
OMP Chairman Mahesh Katulanda stated that while these individuals have been found alive, they have chosen not to disclose their identities or locations. “Under the OMP Act, we are prohibited from revealing their identities without their consent,” he explained.
Katulanda further noted that of the 14,998 complaints of missing persons lodged with the OMP, roughly 6,000 cases have been processed over the past two years. Additionally, the OMP has submitted a proposal to the Cabinet to initiate inquiries into complaints regarding individuals who went missing prior to 2000.
Established in 2018, the OMP had completed around 67 inquiries until 2022. However, significant progress has been made in the past two years, with approximately 6,000 cases investigated.
The OMP Act, passed by Parliament on August 11, 2016, led to the operationalization of the OMP on February 28, 2018, when then-President Maithripala Sirisena appointed seven commissioners, including Saliya Pieris, PC, based on recommendations from the Constitutional Council.
According to the draft 2023 OMP Annual Report, Phase 1 of the Complaints Categorization included 6,025 cases. By the end of 2023, the OMP had conducted 5,791 inquiries, with 2,832 of those completed within the year. Following these investigations, 718 files were forwarded to the Registrar General with recommendations, and 2,101 cases were sent to the Reparations Office for further action.
A total of 1,221 inquiries remain incomplete under Phase 1, including 1,111 absentee cases, which are expected to conclude by the upcoming year.
The OMP’s Legal Unit oversees all activities, from initiating investigations to implementing recommendations, while the Legal, Policy, and Research Unit led the majority of inquiries in 2023. The OMP’s budget allocation for 2023 amounted to Rs. 115 million, according to the report.
