Poya Day Pardon:
Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, has been interdicted over the release of W.M. Athula Tillekaratne, a convicted fraudster whose Poya Day presidential pardon was first raised in Parliament by SJB MP Ajith P. Perera last week.
Government sources said that the Cabinet-of-Ministers had decided yesterday (09) to interdict Upuldeniya, who received that appointment in March 2021. Other sources said that the Prisons Department had made a desperate bid to cover up Tillekaratne’s release as he wasn’t among the 388 persons selected for release to mark Vesak.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told a group of civil society activists, protesting outside the Justice Ministry, demanding punitive measures against what they called the Prisons Mafia, that those responsible would be dealt with.
Sources said that as the Prisons Department had been under investigation, the government appointed an Additional Secretary attached to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Nishan Dhanasinghe as the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons with immediate effect.
Police investigating the release of a person convicted of financial fraud, taking advantage of the presidential pardon granted to 388 prisoners for Vesak, have arrested the Superintendent of Anuradhapura Prison. The Anuradhapura court remanded him till June 11 pending investigations. The prisoner was released from the Anuradhapura Prison.
The Criminal Investigation Department initiated an inquiry after the Presidential Secretariat lodged a complaint with the CID regarding the release.
The Presidential Secretariat intervened after SJB MP and Attorney-at-Law Ajith P. Perera attacked the President in Parliament last week over the controversial release. Perera pointed out that Tillekaratne had been released just 10 days after he was convicted by the Anuradhapura High Court. The CID, over the weekend, recorded a statement from the Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, in this regard. (SF)
