Latest news with #ThusharaUpuldeniya
Khaleej Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Sri Lanka prison chief kept in custody after fraud convict freed
Sri Lanka's prison chief was remanded in custody on Tuesday in connection with the illegal release of a convicted financial fraudster under the guise of an amnesty for minor offenders. Commissioner-General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya was arrested late Monday by the Criminal Investigations Department, over the release of fraud convict Athula Thilakaratne. The government suspended Upuldeniya following reports the convict's name was smuggled into a list of nearly 400 minor offenders who were granted a presidential amnesty last month. Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake ordered Upuldeniya be held in custody until Wednesday, pending a criminal investigation. "It was decided to suspend the Commissioner-General until the investigations are concluded," the Justice Ministry said in a statement. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office ordered the police investigation last week after the release of Thilakaratne. He was serving a six-month sentence over a financial scam and is also facing 30 other fraud cases. Police have launched a manhunt for Thilakaratne, who went missing after his unlawful release from prison was reported in the local media. A presidential amnesty was granted to 388 inmates last month to mark Vesak, the most important Buddhist festival on the island. Thilakaratne "was not among those approved by the president to receive a pardon", Dissanayake's office said. The president told a public rally last week that corruption was rife in prisons and called for a major clean-up. He also warned officials to improve or face the sack.
The Print
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Top prison official suspended in Sri Lanka for presidential pardons abuse
The Ministry of Justice announced that the Cabinet decided to suspend the services of the two officials and Karunaratne was also arrested and remanded until June 11. Prisons chief Thushara Upuldeniya and Anuradhapura Jail Superintendent Mohan Karunaratne have been accused of wrongdoing in the misuse of presidential pardons. Colombo, Jun 9 (PTI) Two senior officials in Sri Lanka, including the Commissioner General of Prisons, were suspended on Monday for allegedly misusing the presidential pardon process to release convicts, the justice ministry said. The police's Crime Investigation Department (CID) questioned Upuldeniya on Sunday and Monday. The developments came after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake ordered the CID to probe the release of a convicted criminal from prison under a purported pardon from him. Dissanayake said that a list of those to be pardoned did not include a particular convict mentioned by the opposition in Parliament. According to the police, investigations revealed that convicts ineligible for presidential pardon had been illegally released. Under Article 34 (1) of the Sri Lankan Constitution, presidents are empowered to grant amnesties to convicts, subject to a strict judicial procedure. PTI CORR GRS GRS GRS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
