The Hon. Ananda Wijepala
Ananda Wijepala stated that Presidential pardons are based on lists prepared by the Prisons Department and forwarded through the Ministry of Justice, with the President approving them on recommendations rather than personally verifying each prisoner. He said an investigation by the CID is underway into a case where a person not on the approved list was allegedly released, and that responsibility should fall on those who effected any illegal release. He added that past releases, including cases involving serious offences, are also being investigated, while maintaining that action is being taken according to law and not to target officials.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, regarding Presidential pardons: the Prisons Department prepares the name list and sends it via the Ministry of Justice to the President, who grants approval after due consideration. Selection criteria lie with the Prisons Department. An issue arose where someone, outside the approved list, was released; investigations are underway by the CID. The President signs based on recommendations; he does not personally verify each prisoner. If anyone was released illegally, those who effected it must be held responsible. There are also investigations into past releases, including for serious offences. We act according to the law; no official is targeted.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 19 June 2025 ·No. 1751430648025512 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Ananda Wijepala. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 19 June 2025. No. 1751430648025512. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/27495