Special state pardon for inmates jailed over unpaid fines

All inmates who were incarcerated over failure to pay fines will be released under special State Pardon by the President, says the Spokesperson of Prisons, Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake.

The decision has been taken with the intention of easing the congestion at prisons across the island owing to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mr Ekanayake said these inmates will be released starting from today (January 09), after referring them to PCR tests and confirming that they are negative for novel coronavirus.

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and relevant Police OICs will be informed in this regard.