Senior officials of the Department of Prisons have held high-level discussions regarding the transfer of prisons officers across the country, amid growing concerns over a major scandal involving the unlawful release of 247 inmates.
The meeting, attended by prison commissioners and the Acting Commissioner General of Prisons, has been held as investigations intensify into what has been described as one of the most serious breaches of procedure in Sri Lanka’s prison system in recent years.
Sources in the Prisons Department revealed that a final decision on the transfers was expected following a court ruling scheduled for June 25 on the current Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, who is currently in remand custody.
Confirming the discussions, Department Spokesperson Jagath Weerasinghe told the media that talks had taken place, but no final agreement had yet been reached regarding reassignments.
The urgency for administrative reshuffling follows a revelation that that 247 inmates have been released from custody without receiving the mandatory presidential approval.
Police sources said that CID investigators had found that 30 of the inmates released were not included in any official records, suggesting a deliberate circumvention of legal protocols. The irregular releases were carried out across nine different prisons.
One particular case that drew scrutiny involved an officer at the Anuradhapura Prison allegedly facilitating the unlawful release of a detainee under the guise of a presidential pardon, prompting calls for immediate restructuring of senior prison ranks, sources said.The CID has launched a full-scale probe to identify those responsible for authorising the illegal releases and to trace the identities and whereabouts of all 247 inmates released unlawfully.