Prison officers, driver suspended for allowing inmate’s family on prison bus

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

Two prison officers and a prison bus driver attached to the Angunakolapelessa Prison have been suspended in connection with an incident where an inmate and his family members were found in a prison bus parked outside Weligama town, Prison Media Spokesperson Gamini B. Dissanayake said.  

He said the incident occurred on the afternoon of May 16 (Friday) when a prison bus belonging to the Angunakolapelessa Prison was seen parked near the Weligama railway station. According to preliminary investigations, prison officers on duty had left the inmate inside the bus and gone shopping in Weligama town for supplies. Reports later emerged that a woman and a small child were also inside the prison bus at the time.  

The prison authorities launched an immediate inquiry, during which it was revealed that the bus had been transporting an inmate from Angunakolapelessa Prison to a medical clinic at the Karapitiya Hospital and was returning when the stop was made in Weligama.  

The spokesperson said that initial information suggests the woman and child seen on the bus were family members of the inmate. Investigations are now underway using CCTV footage and intelligence reports to verify whether the officers knowingly allowed the family onto the prison bus and whether they left the scene after doing so.  

The Prisons and Prison Reforms Ministry has taken the matter seriously, with further disciplinary action expected based on the findings of the ongoing inquiry.