Sri Lanka suspends prison chief over pardon scandal

The Sri Lankan government has decided to suspend the Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, with immediate effect.

The decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers during their meeting held today (June 9). This action follows a serious incident linked to the recent Vesak Poya presidential pardon process.

According to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, an inmate who was not included in the official list approved by the Office of the Presidential Secretary was illegally released from Anuradhapura Prison.

The Ministry stated that this was done by prison officials without proper authorization.

Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara confirmed that the government does not support such unlawful actions and that urgent investigations are underway.

Until those investigations are complete, the Commissioner General has been suspended from duty.

Meanwhile, a silent protest was held this afternoon (June 9) in front of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration by the Prisoners’ Rights Organization.

The protestors voiced strong opposition to the illegal pardon and raised concerns over ongoing irregularities within the prison system.

Minister Nanayakkara personally met the protestors and invited ten of their organizers into the Ministry’s auditorium for a discussion.

During this meeting, the protestors, led by Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, Chairman of the Prisoners’ Rights Organization, made several serious allegations.

They claimed that some inmates convicted of financial crimes and corruption were receiving presidential pardons despite not being eligible.

These decisions, they said, were made with the knowledge and involvement of certain high-ranking prison officials.

The protestors also accused some senior prison officers of accepting bribes and acting as if the Department of Prisons was their own personal property.

They stressed that this behavior undermines justice and denies deserving inmates the chance to benefit from the presidential pardon process.

Officials from the Ministry of Justice and National Integration were also present during the meeting.

The Ministry emphasized that proper legal procedures must be followed at all times and assured that all complaints raised would be taken seriously.

The investigation into the Vesak Poya pardon incident is ongoing, and further action may be taken based on its findings.