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Prisons Dept says mob attacked a bus transporting inmates

10 May 2022

A bus carrying a group of prisoners was attacked by a mob last evening (May 09), says the Commissioner-General of Prisons. Reportedly, the inmates were being transported to the Watareka Rehabilitation Camp following training at construction sites at the time of the attack. "The Prisons department has outsourced over 100 prisoners to various construction sites and roadwork for labor. When the curfew was declared yesterday, the prisoners were put into buses to be transported back to the prison. During the riots, a group of protesters attacked the bus and the prisoners had managed to escape during that time. A total of 58 prisoners have escaped and we urge the public to be vigilant and ensure that the nearest police is informed if they notice any suspicious activity," said Upuldeniya. According to the prisons chief, three jailors and 10 prisoners who sustained injuries in the attack were hospitalized. The statement further mentioned that the Prisons department would like to also clarify that with certainty, none of the prisoners were used to attack or join the protests that happened yesterday.  "Social media has been circulating images of some prisoners and saying that the prisons department had used prisoners for the attacks. This is false and we can assure that," he concluded.


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