Kalutara Prison boss transferred

Prison Reforms Minister D. M. Swaminathan has ordered the transfer of Kalutara Prison Superintendent with immediate effect.

This is based on the findings of a three member committee which inquired into the February 27 prison bus shooting and over several other matters.

Minister D. M. Swaminathan has instructed Ministry Secretary W. M. P. G. Wickremasinghe to transfer the Kalutara prison superintendent immediately and hold an independent inquiry regarding the prison bus shooting at Kalutara and several other matters.

In addition to the information provided by the three member committee regarding the shooting incident, the minister has also considered the media publicity on the assault of a suspect inside the prison related to a murder incident involving underworld leader ‘Samayan’ and the finding of a mobile telephone and tobacco inside a cabbage supplied to the Kalutara prison, the statement added.

The Minister has said that if prison officers were found guilty to these incidents, they will be punished accordingly.

Seven people including an underworld leader ‘Samayan’ and two prison officers were killed on 27 February when the prison bus transporting them for a court hearing was ambushed in Kalutara.