MR visits Yoshitha Having obtained special permission

BY BUDDHI PRABODHA KARUNARATNE AND RATHINDRA KURUWITA 

2016-02-01

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited his son Yoshitha Rajapaksa, who was remanded on Saturday, after obtaining a special permission from the government.
According to law, no one is allowed to visit a person in remand custody on Sundays. Rajapaksa had requested permission from the Minister of Prison Reforms, D.M. Swaminathan to visit his son and the Minister had given permission, after informing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prisons Spokesperson T. N. Upuldeniya told Ceylon Today.

After obtaining approval, former President Rajapaksa and his son MP Namal Rajapaksa arrived yesterday to visit Yoshitha. Meanwhile Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has also visited the prison to see his brother Nishantha Ranatunga who was also arrested with Rajapaksa.
Upuldeniya added that prisons officers have taken measures to strengthen the security around the Welikada Prisons Complex, housing Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Speaking further he said more barriers and gates along with more prison guards were deployed to strengthen the security around the Welikade Prisons Complex.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Nishantha Ranatunga and three others were remanded on Saturday (30) by Kaduwela Magistrate's Court over the alleged financial irregularities in Carlton Sports Network (CSN).
Meanwhile, Upuldeniya has also said that more than 800 vacancies in Sri Lanka Prisons Department need to be filled by this year. Therefore examinations were carried out for the applicants for the relevant vacancies of 800 prison guards along with 100 prisons executive grade jailors, and they are soon to be interviewed, he added.