The Ministry of Public Security stated that the Police would take action to arrest any individual who has been released from prison without proper legal approval, including the person recently released from the Anuradhapura Prison.
In light of the revelation that over 60 inmates have been released from prisons without proper legal approval in the recent past, the Presidential Secretariat stated that if any individual who is supposed to be in prison is not, it is up to the relevant authorities to ensure that they are taken back into custody.
When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether the Police would take such individuals back into custody, the Public Security Minister, Ananda Wijepala said that the Police is already working to apprehend the Anuradhapura inmate who had been released despite not being on the official list approved for a Presidential pardon for Vesak Poya in May. “That’s what needs to happen. If someone has been wrongly released, and if they are not entitled to a pardon, they should be in prison, shouldn’t they?” added Minister Wijepala.
It was initially revealed that one inmate from the Anuradhapura Prison had been released despite his name not appearing on the official list of 388 inmates cleared for a Presidential pardon. The list, approved by the President, goes through a multi-step process involving the Prisons Department, the Ministry of Justice, and ultimately the President’s signature.
According to Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, a total of 68 prisoners were released illegally during Christmas 2024 and Independence Day 2025. He told the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (10) that 57 of these releases occurred during the Christmas pardon, and 11 more during the Independence Day pardon, despite not meeting the legal criteria. He also confirmed that of the 338 prisoners released from 29 prisons during Vesak of this year, at least two were not approved through the proper process.
In response, the Presidential Secretariat's Legal Director, attorney J.M. Wijebandara said that if someone is supposed to be in prison and is not, the responsibility lies with the relevant institutions to act. “No pardon means no pardon. If someone acted beyond their legal authority to release prisoners, it is up to the responsible institutions to fix that. If they don’t act, we can monitor the situation, but the law already gives them the power to take necessary action,” Wijebandara emphasised.