Sagala Contemplates Action Against Police and Prison Officers

A statement issued by him stated the Government was duty bound to take action against those officers responsible for the lapse in prison bus shooting.  “The Minister of Prison reforms and those who are responsible in the prison department should not try to pass the buck- but instead try to rectify the shortcomings in the prisons department to avoid a repetition of such incident,” he emphasised. “The police and the Department of prisons cannot evade their responsibility – as there was enough competence to avoid such incidents,” he said.   Sagala has instructed the police to apprehend the culprits as soon as possible.

In the meantime, prison reforms Minister D.M. Suwaminathan said, he was not trying to put the blame on the police or anyone else. “What I am saying is that adequate police protection has to be provided when a number of criminals such as Samayang are being transported amidst the rubber fields of Kalutara. The Prison officers alone cannot handle the security when such persons are being transported and, therefore, police protection is needed. More police protection is essential if similar incidents have occurred in the past,” he said.