Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya was questioned for over 10 hours yesterday (June 8) by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the alleged unauthorized release of inmates under the pretext of a presidential pardon.
This was the second consecutive day of interrogation for Upuldeniya, who had previously been questioned for five hours the night before.
The investigation stems from a formal complaint lodged by the Presidential Secretariat, which alleges that the presidential pardon mechanism was misused to unlawfully release certain prisoners.
Meanwhile, a senior officer of the Anuradhapura Prison is due to be produced before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court today (June 9) following his arrest by the CID in connection with the unauthorized release of an inmate.
The suspect, a 52-year-old Prison Superintendent from Kalutara South, was taken into custody yesterday afternoon.
His arrest is linked to the controversial release of W.H. Athula Tilakaratne, an inmate who was reportedly freed from Anuradhapura Prison on Vesak Poya Day, allegedly under a presidential pardon that had not been officially granted.
The Presidential Secretariat later confirmed that no such pardon had been issued for the individual, prompting the initiation of a criminal investigation.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala stated that a broader inquiry is now underway into other possible instances of unauthorized inmate releases, vowing that the government will pursue the strictest legal action against those found culpable.
