No raids without approval

15 November 2010 06:12 pm

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

Police personnel will not be allowed to carry out raids at prisons without the prior approval of the Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Ministry even if they have a search warrant from the Court, Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara told Daily Mirror.

The Minister added that all prison officers would be body-checked when they reported for duty and barred from carry or using cell phones inside the prison. Meanwhile some 4,000 prisoners convicted of drug offences would also be transferred to prisons in Weerawila, Taldena and Pallebedda.

The the riots could have been avoided if there was better coordination between the police and prison authorities.“Unfortunately, it did not happen and prison authorities were informed about the court warrant after the police arrived at the Welikada prison,” the Minister said.