Lanka prison chief kept in custody

Sri Lanka's prison chief was remanded in custody yesterday in connection with the illegal release of a convicted financial fraudster under the guise of an amnesty for minor offenders.

Commissioner-General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya was arrested late Monday by the Criminal Investigations Department, over the release of fraud convict Athula Thilakaratne.

The government suspended Upuldeniya following reports the convict's name was smuggled into a list of nearly 400 minor offenders who were granted a presidential amnesty last month.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake ordered Upuldeniya be held in custody until today, pending a criminal investigation.

"It was decided to suspend the Commissioner-General until the investigations are concluded," the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office ordered the police investigation last week after the release of Thilakaratne.