Attorney General Dappula de Livera said that he had instructed the IGP on two occasions to take necessary steps to reduce the number of prisoners in the prison and that the instructions were first given last April and that if it had been implemented, the Mahara prison clash would not have taken place.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the new Attorney General’s Department office building.
The Attorney General’s Department office at Court Mawatha near the Supreme Court was declared open this morning by Justice Minister Ali Sabri, PC, Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Attorney General Dappula Livera.
Commenting on the occasion, Attorney General Dappula de Livera said, “I had advised the police on several occasions during this epidemic period to reduce the prison population. In April I urged them to implement the guidelines very strictly. But the IGP has not implemented any of those guidelines and instructions. I do not know why. But the IGP has not implemented any of those guidelines and instructions. I do not know why. Again I inquired about it and at that time the Minister requested me to advise the police to reduce the number of prisoners. That advice was put into action only by the end of November. But unfortunately this incident would not have happened if my advice had been implemented in April. I gave detailed instructions,”
