Phone calls under scruntiny

12 November 2012 03:12 am

An inquiry is looking into the mobile communications of Special Task Force (STF) and Prison Department officers to asses the elements which instigated the prison riot minutes after the STF concluded a massive search operation in the Chapel Ward and the L- Hall inside the Welikada Prison Complex on Friday.

An inquiry is also conducted how a trishaw and a van came across the inmates in which they attempted to escape. However the attempts failed.
Seven armed inmates who managed to escape during the riots, surrendered to the police and the search operation is still underway in the Borella and Dematagoda areas to track down rest of the armed inmates who escaped, Police said.

The number of inmates managed to escape during the riots had not been confirmed yet by prison authorities but they noted that no LTTE suspects were able to escape.

Apart from this inquiry, the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has also initiated an inquiry by appointing a three member committee where they are to submit a comprehensive report to Parliament.

Investigators have come across information that the inmates at the L-Hall had dug a hole through a wall and escaped, which then led to the armed clashes.

They had then set free a large number of inmates within the L-Hall and then at the Chapel Hall, where hard core criminals are accommodated. In the meantime they had come across the armoury and took away 82 assault rifles and semi-automatic guns. (SD)