Upuldeniya’s lawyer wants to name Secretaries to President and Justice Ministry as suspects

By Roshan Thushara  

The lawyer representing suspended Prison Chief Thushara Upuldeniya told the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday that if any wrongful release of inmates has occurred, both the Secretary to the President and the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice should be named as suspects in the case.  

Appearing on behalf of the suspect, Senior Attorney-at-Law Darshana Kuruppu argued that his client acted strictly in accordance with a circular issued by the Presidential Secretariat. He explained that while lists of inmates to be released on occasions such as Vesak Day or Christmas are usually submitted well in advance, the circular also allows prison authorities to later forward additional names of eligible inmates to the Ministry of Justice. These late additions, he said, are not included in the original list but are processed legally under the provisions of the circular.  

“If there has been a wrongful release, then the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and the Secretary to the President must also be held accountable,” Kuruppu argued. “My client has not acted outside the law and is fully prepared to cooperate with ongoing investigations.”