The government has rejected allegations that it is attempting to conceal the facts surrounding the deadly unrest at Negombo Prison, which claimed 32 lives, stating that an extensive investigation is progressing.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said allegations of a cover-up were aimed at damaging Sri Lanka’s reputation in the international community.
The Minister said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is leading the investigation with the assistance of seven Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) teams. He noted that statements have already been obtained from around 200 individuals, including inmates, prison officers and Special Task Force (STF) personnel.
He further said efforts are underway to recover footage from damaged CCTV systems through digital video recorders (DVRs), while confirming that all weapons believed to have been used during the violence have been recovered.
Dr. Jayatissa stated that examinations relating to all victims have been completed except for three, including two prison officers who later succumbed to their injuries and an Indian national inmate. He added that several prison officers were killed after suffering severe head injuries during the incident.
The Minister assured that all those responsible for the deaths of prison officers and inmates would be identified through the ongoing investigations and prosecuted.
Commenting on the prison system, Dr. Jayatissa said the government’s anti-narcotics operations have resulted in a sharp increase in the inmate population, which has risen by around 14,000 since 2024 to approximately 42,000 inmates.
He said measures have already been taken to address overcrowding by expanding prison infrastructure and recruiting additional prison officers. Development work has been completed or is currently underway at the Pallekele, Pallansena and Mahara prisons.
The Minister also noted that temporary facilities at the Welikada and Magazine prisons are nearing completion to ease congestion, while a high-security prison has been established at the Welisara Navy Camp. He added that several additional prison development projects are scheduled for completion between 2026 and 2028.
