The Police Media Division says a statement has been recorded from the Commissioner General of Prisons regarding the controversial release of inmates under a Presidential pardon during Vesak.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a number of prisoners may have been released illegally during the process.
Further inquiries are ongoing to determine whether prison authorities acted in violation of due procedure.
Presidential Secretariat yesterday issued a strong statement clarifying that W. M. Athula Tilakaratne — the former Anuradhapura branch manager of a finance company convicted of misappropriating Rs. 4 million — was not included in the official list of 388 inmates approved for clemency by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
According to the statement, under Article 34(1) of the Constitution, the President may grant pardons upon recommendation. Names are shortlisted by prison authorities, reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, and then submitted to the Presidential Secretariat for final approval. However, the list approved on May 6, 2025, did not contain Tilakaratne’s name.
