The President’s Media Division (PMD) has issued an official statement highlighting a serious procedural breach involving the release of an inmate from Anuradhapura Prison who was not approved under the presidential pardon granted for the 2025 Vesak festival.
According to the PMD, W.H. Athula Thilakaratne, who was serving a sentence for financial fraud, was released despite not being listed among those approved for a general presidential pardon.
The PMD emphasized that under Article 34(1) of the Constitution, the President holds the exclusive authority to grant pardons to convicted individuals. As part of the Vesak pardon process, lists of eligible prisoners are prepared by prison superintendents and submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review. The vetted list is then forwarded to the Presidential Secretariat, where final approval is granted by the President.
In this particular case, the Commissioner General of Prisons submitted a list of 388 prisoners on May 6, 2025, none of whom included the individual in question.
“This individual was not included in the list of 388 prisoners granted a presidential pardon,” the PMD clarified.
In response to the irregularity, the Presidential Secretariat lodged a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 6, under the case title: “Release of a Prisoner without Presidential Approval under the Presidential Pardon.”
The PMD further confirmed that a full investigation has been launched. Disciplinary action will be taken against any officials found responsible for the unauthorized release.
