The suspended Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
His arrest follows an investigation launched by the CID after the Presidential Secretariat filed a complaint regarding the unauthorized release of a prisoner. The prisoner was reportedly released by prison officials under a presidential pardon, despite not being recommended for such a pardon by the President.
The Cabinet, in a meeting held this evening, decided to suspend Upuldeniya. Prior to his arrest today, he had been questioned extensively—statements were recorded for 15 hours, 5 hours, and 10 hours over the past two days.
The misuse of the presidential pardon was revealed in court and reported widely in the media, drawing national attention. The opposition disclosed full details of the incident in Parliament, leading to sharp criticism of the government and the President.
When the Ministry of Justice requested a full report from Upuldeniya, he responded in writing, claiming that no issues had arisen, that all actions were legal, and that all relevant information had been submitted for audit. However, this response attracted close scrutiny from investigative agencies, ultimately leading to his arrest.
