Commissioner General of Prisons arrested by CID

The Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), hours after he was suspended from service  over the incident where a convict was released in Anuradhapura, on a so called Presidential pardon.

Police said that the Commissioner General will be held overnight by the CID and produced in courts tomorrow.

He is suspected of aiding and abetting the release of prisoners illegally on the pretext they had received Presidential pardons.

The Cabinet earlier in the day had decided to suspend the service of Upuldeniya, as the release of a convict in Anuradheapura had not been authorized by the President, but court had been falsely informed that he had received a presidential pardon coinciding with the Vesak day.

Meanwhile the Assistant Commissioner of Anuradhapura Prison who was arrested on Sunday by the CID yesterday in connection with the release of the prisoner was  produced in courts today and remanded until June 11.