Prisons head granted pardon on his own: ASG

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, June 11 (Daily Mirror) - Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dileepa Peeris revealed that interdicted Prison Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya had fabricated an official document to falsely claim that 37 inmates had received Presidential pardons, despite only 36 names being legally approved by the President.

Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General’s Department, ASG Peeris told Court that the original list of 37 prisoners, recommended for Vesak Day release by the Anuradhapura Prison Commissioner, had been altered by the suspect.

According to ASG Peeris, the suspect had removed the name of one inmate from the list and forwarded a revised list of 36 inmates to the Ministry of Justice, which was then sent to the Presidential Secretariat for final approval.