In a dramatic escalation of a high-level forgery scandal, the Commissioner General of Prisons, Thushara Upuldeniya, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 9 in connection with the misuse of Presidential pardons to illegally release inmates. The arrest was confirmed by the Police Media Division, which stated that the top official was taken into custody for aiding and abetting the illegal act. He is to be produced before the Aluthgama Magistrate’s Court on June 10.
The arrest follows mounting evidence pointing to a deliberate conspiracy within the prison system to fabricate documents claiming that certain prisoners had received a Presidential pardon, when in fact, no such order had been issued. Among the most damning cases is that of Anuradhapura Prison Superintendent Mohan Karunaratne, who was remanded until June 11 after being brought before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Nalaka Sanjeewa Jayasuriya.
Karunaratne was arrested over his role in the unauthorized release of Wijayakoon Mudiyanselage Athula Thilakaratne, a defendant in case HC/69/2018—a financial fraud case pending before the Anuradhapura High Court. The suspect was reportedly released under the guise of a Vesak Poya Day Presidential pardon, based on a forged letter bearing the prison superintendent’s signature.
The CID told the court that no such pardon had been granted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and that the Presidential Secretariat had lodged a formal complaint once it was discovered that the High Court had acted on the misleading letter. The CID’s preliminary investigations revealed that the document was forged and part of a coordinated scheme to illegally free inmates.
Deputy Minister of Public Security and Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala was quick to respond, assuring the public that “no one is above the law.” Speaking to the media on June 9, he stated that legal action will be taken against all individuals involved, regardless of their rank or status within the public service.
The CID’s court submission further suggested that the forged pardon was not an isolated event. Similar irregularities have reportedly been uncovered at other prisons across the country, prompting an island-wide investigation. The CID emphasized that the act appeared to be premeditated and intentional, and that more arrests were imminent.
The defense, however, pushed back. Senior Counsel Aravinda Habakkula, appearing on behalf of Superintendent Karunaratne, denied all allegations and argued that the letter was issued in accordance with established prison procedures. He maintained that his client was simply performing his duties and had not knowingly committed any wrongdoing. “If following departmental rules is now being considered a crime, then it is the rules that need reform,” he argued.
Habakkula further urged the court to grant his client bail under any suitable conditions, insisting that no intentional fraud had taken place and that his client’s innocence would be proven in time. However, after hearing arguments from both sides, Chief Magistrate Jayasuriya denied bail, ordering Karunaratne to remain in custody until June 11.
Legal representation for the complainant was handled by the Director of the Legal Division of the Police Headquarters and senior CID officers, while a team of top lawyers including Kalinga Ravindra and Chathuraya Dhananjaya Ranatunga stood with the defense.
The fallout from the scandal is likely to shake Sri Lanka’s prison and legal systems, as the CID continues to expand its probe into what appears to be a deeply rooted network of procedural abuse, with fake presidential pardons used to subvert justice from within the system itself.
