Lohan Ratwatte will continue as the State Minister of Gem and Jewellery despite resigning as State Minister for Prison Management.
Ratwatte handed over his letter of resignation from the post of Prison Management, and Prisoners Rehabilitation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Ratwatte had allegedly gone to the Anuradhapura prison on Sunday 12th September and forced two prisoners to kneel and threatened to kill them.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) have called for the sacking of the State Minister over the incident.
The TNPF said that on the evening of the 12th of September the State Minister had gone to the Anuradhapura prisons, summoned Tamil political prisoners and had got two of them to kneel in front of him.
The State Minister had then allegedly pointed his personal firearm at them and had threatened to kill them on the spot.
According to Government sources, Ratwatte has only resigned from the post of State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ Rehabilitation.
The sources said, therefore, he will continue to serve as the State Minister of Gem & Jewellery related Industries which was the portfolio he was initially assigned.
Lohan Ratwatte was appointed as the State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ Rehabilitation following the reassigning of Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle who held the post.
Dr. Fernandopulle was reassigned as the State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID-19 Disease Control.
Lohan Ratwatte thereafter took over the post of State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ Rehabilitation in addition to his existing portfolio of State Minister of Gem & Jewellery related Industries.
Despite, resigning from his post as the State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ Rehabilitation over the recent incidents involving the Welikada and Anuradhapura prisons, he still remains a State Minister.