Prisoners were clearly among the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government supporters who destroyed the “GotaGoGama” protest site at Galle Face and the “MynaGoGama” protest site opposite the Temple Trees in Kollupitiya, and attacked peaceful protestors at the said locations, on Monday (9), alleged the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP).
Speaking to The Morning, CPRP Chairman Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera alleged that 600 prisoners were taken to the Prime Minister’s official residence, the Temple Trees, to support the attack on the protestors.
“We have strong evidence that they were given arrack (local liquor) before the attack. This is not the first time that prisoners were used for political purposes. Prisoners should be protected during their stay under the Prisons Department,” Perera further alleged.
“We urge Prisons Commissioner General (CG) Thushara Upuldeniya to step down from his post as it is clear that these prisoners were a part of the assault on the general public. Prisoners should be rehabilitated and should not be involved in such crimes. I think that Upuldeniya should punish them under the criminal law as more than 600 prisoners were taken to attack civilians.”
However, Prisons Commissioner and Departmental Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said that there is no truth behind this allegation. He claimed that these prisoners in question were under a particular relief scheme, and that therefore, a group of prisoners was taken out of the Watareka Prison on a daily basis for external construction work under the care of Prison officials.
“The purpose of this is to produce trained workers. When they returned to the Watareka Prison in Homagama after completing their service on Monday, they were attacked by an angry mob, and a group of prisoners was injured and hospitalised.”
In video footage circulating on social media, a person describing himself as a prisoner who was under the care of a jailor named Ramanayake, says that they were taken to construction sites from the Watareka Prison under a rehabilitation programme.
Meanwhile, buses transporting a group of prisoners were attacked by a mob on Monday evening (9), according to Commissioner General of Prisons N. Upuldeniya, with a total of 58 inmates reported missing following the incident, while 123 were held securely.
In a statement, the Prisons Department said that the inmates were being transported to the Watareka Rehabilitation Camp following training at construction sites at the time of the attack.
According to the Prisons chief, three jailors and 10 prisoners who sustained injuries in the attack were hospitalised.
In a statement, he said the Watareka Rehabilitation Camp had assigned 30 inmates to a construction site in Kollupitiya, 105 to a construction site in Rajagiriya, and 45 to Battaramulla. The buses were transporting the inmates back to the rehabilitation camp, the Prisons chief added.
Further, the Prisons chief also vehemently denied the social media claims that these inmates were used to attack anti-Government protesters.