According to a report in today’s (June 11) Lankadeepa newspaper, the Attorney General informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that 68 prisoners were unlawfully released by misusing presidential pardons, not only during the recent Vesak holiday but also on Independence Day and Christmas.
This revelation came during the court appearance of Prison Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake rejected bail and ordered Upuldeniya to be remanded until June 12.
The Additional Solicitor General, Dilip Peiris, stated in court that Upuldeniya abused the authority of the President’s pardon, which is constitutionally granted under Article 34 to release convicted individuals. He emphasized that the Commissioner had misused the system by submitting false prisoner lists and bypassing the proper protocol. In one instance, a convict fined Rs. 2 million by the Anuradhapura High Court was released under a pardon, despite not appearing on any official list.
Investigations revealed this practice has been ongoing. In December 2023 (Christmas), 57 prisoners were released unlawfully, and another 11 during Independence Day 2024. The CID is now probing the misuse of authority and examining the assets of senior prison officials. The pardon list for Vesak included 388 names officially, but unauthorized additions were made.
Defense attorney Darshana Kuruppu argued that the commissioner acted based on a circular issued by the Presidential Secretariat, which allows late additions to the pardon list. However, the prosecution pointed out that the circular lacked any official reference number, questioning its validity.
Due to the severity of the charges and potential interference with the investigation, the magistrate denied bail and ordered the suspect to be kept in remand custody with special protection, as his lawyer claimed he faces threats from underworld groups.
Further investigations are ongoing, and public uproar over the misuse of pardons—especially involving politically sensitive regions—has intensified.
