A resident of Ginipendegama, Wariyapola has been put out by mistake. The Wariyapola Police had informed the court that he had been released on a 25 am amnesty while on a charge of forging documents.
The detainee was remanded by the Wariyapola Police and produced before the Wariyapola District Judge on the 3rd of this month. He was remanded at the Kuliyapitiya Quarantine Center for 14 days and ordered to be handed over to the Welikada Magazine Prison.
Meanwhile, the same news was reported by Neth FM yesterday (06) in a different way.
The inmate, who is a relative of a politician, was detained at the Welikada Prison during the previous government and later transferred to the Wariyapola Prison. He had escaped from prison and was later arrested and remanded in custody, the report said.
He was remanded in custody at the Colombo Remand Prison prior to his imprisonment. He had fled again on December 25.
When the prisoner was arrested on the 3rd, he had confessed that a jailer at the Welikada Prison had helped him escape and that he had paid the officer Rs. 1 million to do so. Accordingly, the prisoner had helped the prisoner escape from the Welikada Prison. It further stated that a special investigation has been launched into a jailor at the Welikada Prison.
It also stated that steps have been taken to appoint a committee headed by an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons.
Both news stories are about the same person and the Mawbima news has pointed out that he has been released from prison by mistake.
However, the Neth channel has stated that he had fled on the 25th. Readers who read and listen to such news are also severely inconvenienced. Unable to pick and choose which news is correct.
The first story says he did nothing wrong and the second story says he ran away.
Therefore, journalists need to be more careful when reporting news.