Despite denials on existence of snipers, well-aimed shots were carried out

"Investigations conducted by the National Fact-Finding Commission on the Embezzlements and Corruption that have taken place since last December 17, confirmed that several victims were killed and wounded by marksmen," Commission Chairman Taoufik Bouderbala pointed out. "Despite the denials of the former security chiefs on the existence of a snipers' structure and the declarations of victims and witnesses which have been contradictory, these investigations corroborated the thesis that shots were carried out by snipers," he specified. These clarifications were made during the meeting held on Thursday, by the High Authority for the Achievement of the Revolution Objectives, Political Reform and Democratic Transition to assess the commission's works, notably regarding the file of snipers and truth about the rapes recorded at the beginning of the Revolution. As regards the last issue, Mr. Bouderbala said that the main obstacle impeding investigations on this file is the psychological block of victims who refuse to broach the subject. Despite these psychological blocks, he specified, the Commission has succeeded to incite several victims to lodge complaints against their assailants. Concerning "the slowness of justice in examining the cases of embezzlement and abuse," Mr. Taoufik Bouderbala pointed out that this kind of cases requires complex procedures that could slow down the examination of these files. He said in this regard, that the Commission had tried to call by correspondence, security officials for hearing, so as to unveil the truth about the events which have taken place since the start of the Revolution, but "it has remained unanswered." In this connection, Commission member Slaheddine Jourchi estimated that the strong solidarity between security officers is the main obstacle in the Commission's relation with the Interior Ministry. Besides, he said that the indemnities paid to the wounded of the Revolution are insufficient, laying emphasis on the efforts exerted by the Commission to help these persons benefit of an emergent intervention from the Social Affairs and Public Health Ministries. At the beginning of the session, Mr. Tawfik Bouderbala had briefed the High Authority about work of the Commission, which has so far received 2,054 files, 239 of which regard killings, 1,433 of wounded people and 378 related to the ransacking of public and private establishments. He had added that the Commission had had carried out 56 visits in the country's various regions and is working with the different regional and central players and with the public health ministry, governors and "Omdas" in order to support the files by documents and data likely to develop a closer idea about the reality on abuses committed since last December 17.