24 more suspects named over Negombo prison clash

The Criminal Investigation Department requested permission from the court to name 24 more suspects regarding the deaths of 32 individuals in the Negombo prison clash.

Accordingly, 24 suspects were named in connection with the incident, and they were inmates who were inside the prison at the time of the incident.

Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera ordered today(07), to produce another 38 named suspects before the court within today.

Sixty-two suspects were named suspects in the case so far, and 38 individuals were scheduled to be produced for an identification parade today.

Yet, as the officer witnesses who sustained injuries in the prison incident are still in hospital, the Magistrate ordered the parade to be postponed until September 21.

The suspects produced today were ordered to be remanded until August 21. The prison authorities were also ordered to cover the 24 suspects named today and produce them before the court on August 21.

The Criminal Investigation Department took steps to hand over the name list and the B report to the Magistrate, and the names of those suspects were not presented in open court due to security reasons. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered to produce all 62 inmates arrested and named as suspects regarding the incident before the court on August 21.

Ten prison officers and 22 inmates lost their lives and more than 100 others sustained injuries in a clash that broke out between two groups of inmates at the Negombo prison on July 5 and 6. The relevant case was called before the Negombo Magistrate's Court today (07).

Accordingly, 38 suspects including Kuruppuarachchilage Suresh Pushpakumara alias 'Katuwellegama Suresh', bearing prison number 4423, who remained inside the prison at the time of the incident, were produced before the court today. The Criminal Investigation Department disclosed the names of five suspects on a previous occasion, and the other suspects were not produced to the open court due to security reasons, while it was mentioned that the names of those suspects will be presented after the identification parade.

Officer from the Criminal Investigation Department, further presenting facts, stated the following:
"The inmates and officers who were in the prison have the ability to identify these suspect inmates. I request to issue an order be issued to produce those suspect inmates for an identification parade. Today, 38 suspects are brought from the Boossa prison and the Pallansena prison and produced for the identification parade. Furthermore, I request to issue an order to the prison authority to produce the suspects named today before the court on a date specified by Your Honour."

Accordingly, the Negombo Chief Magistrate, issuing a prison order to the prison, ordered to produce all suspects before the court on August 21. There, the officers mentioned that charges will be filed against the suspects currently produced and all suspects identified regarding the incident under murder charges, the Firearms Ordinance, and the Public Property Act. The department also mentioned that offences took place under sections 102, 113, 146, 186, 300, 315, 316, 317, 344 of the Penal Code and the aforementioned acts.

Negombo Magistrate Shilani Perera, who ordered to produce the suspects before the court today, recalled the case at 2 p.m. The court ordered them to be presented for the identification parade on August 21, and subsequently, the relevant suspects were ordered to be remanded until the same date (August 21).