Suspended Commissioner General (CG) of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday (9), has been remanded until today (11).

Upuldeniya was produced before the Number One Magistrate’s Court within the Hulftsdorp Court Complex yesterday (10). The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake after considering the facts presented. Rejecting the bail application, Rathnayake stated that the bail request could not be considered at this stage as investigations are still ongoing. Accordingly, Rathnayake rejected the bail application and ordered that the case be called again today before the regular Magistrate.

The CID arrested Upuldeniya in connection to investigations into allegations that he aided and abetted the unlawful release of an inmate from the Anuradhapura Prison under the Presidential pardon granted for this year’s Vesak Poya.

On Monday, a decision was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to suspend the services of Upuldeniya. The decision was taken during the weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Accordingly, in order to facilitate an impartial inquiry, Upuldeniya has been suspended.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent of the Anuradhapura Prison, who was arrested by the CID over allegations of unlawfully releasing an inmate of the Anuradhapura Prison under the Presidential pardon granted for Vesak Poya, was also remanded until today.