Prisoners killed by prisoners
By Niranjala Ariyawansha- January 16, 2014
The three-member committee, appointed to probe the death of 27 inmates during the 9 November 2012 Welikada Prison riots, has concluded that the prisoners had died by shooting at each other.
The Committee Report further justified the summoning of the Special Task Force (STF) and the Army to control the tense situation that had erupted in the prison.
When contacted, Minister of Prisons and Prison Reforms, Chandrasiri Gajadeera, said he had studied the report and it clarified the fact that the prisoners had weapons and they had shot each other.
He also said the report was handed over to the Secretary of the Ministry, P.W. Witanage, the Commissioner of Prisons, Chandraratne Pallegama, and the...
Assistant Commissioner of Prisons, so that they could study the same, and make recommendations to him.
When contacted, Withanage said, although he had read the report of the three-member committee, he was not authorized to disclose its contents.
"If the Minister gives his approval we can release the report by next week," he said.
Three-member committee report consisting of 565 pages, was prepared by retired High Court Judge, Bandula Atapattu, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Gunasena Thenabadu and Legal Officer of Prison Reforms, Lalith Andrahennadi.
According to a prison source, based on the information provided by the injured prisoners, the report had stated that the lack of knowledge in using weapons as well as private vendettas had led to the deaths of the prisoners.
Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), yesterday urged the government to release the report of the three member committee. JVP Propaganda Secretary, Vijitha Herath, told Ceylon Today, the Minister of Prisons and Prison Reforms, Chandrasiri Gajadeera has a responsibility to reveal the contents of the report, which states that the prisoners shot each other. "On 9 November 2012, 27 citizens of the country were killed in the Welikada Prison. The public has a right to know as to how these prisoners were killed. It is over a year since the incident took place, and the report of the Committee had been handed over to the ministry one month ago. Why is the report not released as yet? The answer is that nobody will believe its contents," he said.
By Niranjala Ariyawansha- January 16, 2014
The three-member committee, appointed to probe the death of 27 inmates during the 9 November 2012 Welikada Prison riots, has concluded that the prisoners had died by shooting at each other.The Committee Report further justified the summoning of the Special Task Force (STF) and the Army to control the tense situation that had erupted in the prison.
When contacted, Minister of Prisons and Prison Reforms, Chandrasiri Gajadeera, said he had studied the report and it clarified the fact that the prisoners had weapons and they had shot each other.
He also said the report was handed over to the Secretary of the Ministry, P.W. Witanage, the Commissioner of Prisons, Chandraratne Pallegama, and the...
Assistant Commissioner of Prisons, so that they could study the same, and make recommendations to him.
When contacted, Withanage said, although he had read the report of the three-member committee, he was not authorized to disclose its contents.
"If the Minister gives his approval we can release the report by next week," he said.
Three-member committee report consisting of 565 pages, was prepared by retired High Court Judge, Bandula Atapattu, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Gunasena Thenabadu and Legal Officer of Prison Reforms, Lalith Andrahennadi.
According to a prison source, based on the information provided by the injured prisoners, the report had stated that the lack of knowledge in using weapons as well as private vendettas had led to the deaths of the prisoners.
Meanwhile, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), yesterday urged the government to release the report of the three member committee. JVP Propaganda Secretary, Vijitha Herath, told Ceylon Today, the Minister of Prisons and Prison Reforms, Chandrasiri Gajadeera has a responsibility to reveal the contents of the report, which states that the prisoners shot each other. "On 9 November 2012, 27 citizens of the country were killed in the Welikada Prison. The public has a right to know as to how these prisoners were killed. It is over a year since the incident took place, and the report of the Committee had been handed over to the ministry one month ago. Why is the report not released as yet? The answer is that nobody will believe its contents," he said.
