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Missing inmates: Police seek intelligence support

15 May 2022

 
  • 26 prisoners missing following 9 May violence
  • 32 prisoners surrender to authorities
  By Maheesha Mudugamuwa The Police has sought the assistance of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) islandwide to track down inmates from the Watareka Prison who went missing last week when a mob had allegedly attacked a Prison bus transporting inmates. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa said that detectives had informed the details of those prisoners to the SIS. The inmate details have already been sent to the relevant Police stations around the country in an attempt to net them. According to Department of Prisons Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake, 26 prisoners are still missing following the incident last week. The mob had allegedly attacked a bus transporting prisoners from construction sites where they were undergoing a special rehabilitation programme prior to being released to society. A total of 58 prisoners were reported missing following the incident, and 32 have already surrendered, while 26 are still missing. Meanwhile, three separate investigations are currently being carried out regarding the incident where these prisoners were allegedly used as a part of the SLPP-led pro-Government group that assaulted peaceful protestors and attacked the ‘MainaGoGama’ site in Colpetty and ‘GotaGoGama’ site at Galle Face last Monday (9).  Civil society groups and protesters have expressed concern about the allegations, questioning whether prisoners, who are under the care of the State, were used to bolster the violent mob that assaulted the peaceful protestors.   According to Ekanayake, an internal investigation is currently being held by the Prisons Department and they have already given statements to an investigation conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. In addition, he said a separate investigation had been launched by the Police. Police Media Spokesman Thalduwa said the matter had also come under last week’s attack incident, into which investigations are still ongoing.  


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