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Two prison probes tackle reasons for riot
Overcrowding of prisons, easy access to narcotics, resistance by prisoners to search operations carried out by the Special Task Force were the main reasons for last week’s mayhem at Welikada jail, two separate committees that probed the incident revealed.
The two committees — one appointed by the Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera and the other by the Prisons Commissioner General P.W.Kodippili this week handed over their findings about the riots that left 27 prisoners dead and 43 injured.
Mr. Gajadeera told the Sunday Times that prisoners feared STF operations as they would lead to unearthing contraband and mobile phones in the possession of prisoners.
The Committees also have made recommendations to avert the recurrence of such incidents. The Ministry on its own too has decided on a plan of action to prevent such incidents.
“We are planning to transfer some of the prisoners out of Welikada to the open prisons in Pallekelle, Angunukolapelessa and Jaffna. This will prevent prisoners from organising themselves into various groups,” Mr. Gajaedera said.
“Unfortunately a few of the prison officials too support unruly behaviour while there are guards who are controlled by the prisoners,” the minister added.
Among the proposals to improve security in the prisons is a plan to import security equipment including scanning machines costing more than Rs. 180 million and equipment that could be used to jam mobile phones.
Prisons Commissioner General P.W. Kodippili told the Sunday Times that details on how the armoury was broken into have now been revealed.
“The L-Ward which houses the remand prisoners was the first to be searched. This is like a market place where trading of narcotics, cigarettes, cannabis and mobile phones are freely traded after about five in the evening.
“There are three floors in this building comprising 800 inmates. Sixty prison guards were assisting 700 STF personnel who were involved in the search.
“The STF was called to assist in detecting mobile phones and narcotics as some of the phones were hidden inside the walls and metal detectors were used to trace them. The first round of the search ended without any problem around 4 p.m.
Overcrowding of the prisons one of the reasons for last week’s clash at Welikada
“Around 4.30 p.m. the STF and the prison guards went to the Chapel ward to carryout a search. Some 250 inmates were taken out. At this point a prisoner identified as Marlon started an argument with an STF personnel. Soon, several others too got involved in the argument and as the inmates turned unruly tear gas was used to control the situation,” the Prisons Commissioner said.
Elaborating further he said the prisoners had got hold of some bricks that had been brought for the construction of a new building and started attacking the STF. “The remand prisoners too joined in and the prisoners took control of the situation. Some 25 prison guards were trapped in the building,” Mr. Kodippili said.
“Because of the tear gas some of the officers who were in charge of the armoury had to withdraw giving the prisoners the opportunity to get into the building through the roof. Another group had broken into the building by breaking the wall,” he said adding that about 104 weapons including the magazines had been removed.
The clashes continued while a group of prisoners got hold of the three-wheeler that was being used by the canteen. Nine inmates got into the vehicle and tried to break out of the premises. However, he said the escaping prisoners were confronted while 11 others who followed the vehicle managed to escape. Only seven of them have been re-arrested.
It was after this incident that the situation got intensified. At least 13 STF personnel including the commadant R.W. Ranawana were injured.
Mr. Kodippili said that Army commandos were called in after it was learnt that the prisoners were trying to break into the second armoury. Some 300 weapons and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition were stored there.
He said within an hour—shortly after midnight on Friday the commandos regained control of the situation. He dismissed allegations that prisoners were called out by name in the early hours of Saturday and shot.
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