Prison guards suspended

by Ranga Jayasuriya

Prisons Commissioner Major General Vajira Wijegunawardene yesterday suspended two prison guards who allegedly assaulted the torture victim Sunil Perera who died Thursday as family members of the deceased sought the assistance of the Human Rights Commission to ensure justice to the torture victims.

Major Gen. Wijegunawardene told the Sunday Observer that he had suspended the two prison guards with immediate effect.

The Prison Commissioner however said he had been informed, informally he said, that the cause of death of Perera was a kidney failure as stated in the District Medical Officers Report.

He however said the two Prison Guards were suspended as they were guilty of assault, even though it may not be fatal.

The victim's assistant, Gamini Munaweera who was in remand custody along with the deceased had lodged a complaint at police that the duo had been tortured for two days during the detention by seven prison guards.

He has said that prison guards had assaulted them on a "rotation basis" for two days.

The victim Sunil Perera (55) of Pitakotte was earlier remanded and released over suspicion of his alleged involvement in the bomb hoax which threw schools in to panic. He was later released by the court following a week in remand custody after the police informed the magistrate that the suspect was innocent.

Police found the telephone calls in question had been given a week before the incident and that they were indeed related to a certain business transaction which the suspect's company had with the said school.

Perera died after the admission to Colombo National Hospital.

Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased have sought the assistance of Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission and Asian Human Rights Commission to seek justice to the two torture victims.

Minister of Disaster Managerment and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe has strongly condemned the torture and killing of Sunil Perera in Prison custody and ensured to hold an impartial and transparent investigation into the incident immediately.

"Any person found responsible will be dealt with according to the law", he said.