10 February 2020 07:22 pm
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made a sudden inspection visit to Welikada Prison this evening, the President's Media Division said.
They said the President had inquired after several inmates who were walking outside. Most of them were either imprisoned for drugs or narcotics-related offences.
The inmates said that the number of remanded prisoners was thrice the number the prison could accommodate. They also said due to filing cases based on misinformation, cases prolonged for longer periods.
Therefore they had to spend a considerable time in prison, they added.
The President said he would take measures to appoint a committee to look into the prevailing situation.