New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said on Monday that the country’s royal commission inquiry into the two Christchurch mosques terror attacks would be reporting the government by December 10.
According to Reuters news reports, the body would have a look into the suspected gunman’s activities with the help of international connections and social media, as well as whether the state counter-terrorism resources had any “inappropriate” priority setting in it.
At New Zealand’s parliament, the prime minister told reporters: “The Royal Commission plays a critical role in our ongoing response to fully understand what happened in the lead up to the attack and to ensure such an attack never happens again.”
A suspected gunman, the white supremacist, has been charged with the 50 counts of murder over the March 15th Christchurch shootings and will be expected to appear before the court in June.
Ardern said the man had not been on the watch lists in Australia or New Zealand.
She said, “It is aimed directly at trying to pick up what has been a question raised in the aftermath the terror attacks into whether or not resourcing was only focused on particular areas and whether or not that came at the cost of other areas, so yes we are directly trying to address that issue.”
The inquiry would begin considering evidence by May 13 and another inquirer would be appointed in this month, Ardern stated.