Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has blamed the government for the deadly violence at Negombo Prison, saying it must take full responsibility for the incident that has so far claimed at least 25 lives.
Issuing a special statement on Monday, Premadasa said the loss of life and injuries were the result of a collapse and inefficiency in the prison administration.
He pointed out that the current President had previously stated, while in opposition, that the government should be held responsible if deaths occur inside prisons, arguing that the same standard should now apply to the present administration.
Premadasa further alleged that the government’s promised “system change” had failed, claiming the incident exposed serious weaknesses in governance, law enforcement, and prison management.
