The mystery behind the leaked video of a young British woman held in Negombo Prison has now been unraveled, following a court session that shed light on the circumstances under which the footage was secretly recorded and published online.
Negombo Additional Magistrate Darshika Premaratne, presiding over the case of 21-year-old Charlotte Mae Lee, a British national arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake with 46 kilograms of Kush ordered her continued remand until June 13.
During Thursday’s hearing, startling revelations emerged regarding a video clip published by the British news outlet Daily Mail, which showed Charlotte inside Negombo Prison and claimed she was being held under deplorable conditions. The footage, it was revealed, had been recorded without her knowledge or consent.
Charlotte was arrested on May 12 by the Customs Narcotics Control Division shortly after arriving in Sri Lanka from Bangkok via SriLankan Airlines. Two pieces of luggage belonging to her were found to contain 46 kilograms of the high-grade cannabis variant “Kush.” She was subsequently remanded by the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.
On May 21, Daily Mail published a report with an accompanying video that went viral across international media, depicting Charlotte’s condition in custody. However, during the hearing, prison officials and legal representatives clarified how the footage was clandestinely captured.
Senior attorney Sampath Perera, representing the British national, stated in court that individuals posing as journalists had entered the prison under the guise of being Charlotte’s friends. Once inside, they recorded a conversation with her using a covert device disguised as a button camera. The lawyer stressed that this act had significantly prejudiced his client and urged the court to investigate the breach and take corrective action.
Prison authorities acknowledged that access had been granted following what they described as a routine request by persons claiming to be the suspect’s acquaintances. The prison staff were reportedly unaware that one of them was secretly recording the encounter.
Magistrate Premaratne, after reviewing the disclosures, instructed prison officials to implement stricter screening of visitors. She emphasized that individuals wishing to meet the suspect must obtain prior approval, and warned prison authorities to be vigilant in safeguarding inmates from similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, the 46 kilograms of seized Kush were presented before the court during the hearing. The magistrate ordered that the narcotics be secured in the court’s case file room as evidence.
As the case continues to draw media and diplomatic attention, the Sri Lankan judiciary has taken steps to ensure that further breaches of protocol are avoided, while reaffirming the need for transparency and fairness throughout the judicial process.
