Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa Issues Special Statement on the Negombo Prison Clash Says Government Must Take Full Responsibility, Calls for Independent Investigation
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today issued a special statement on the Negombo Prison clash, saying that the tragic loss of life and injuries inside the prison were the result of the collapse and inefficiency of the prison administration.
He pointed out that the current President, while serving as an opposition MP, had previously stated that the government must take responsibility whenever deaths occur inside prisons. Therefore, as multiple lives have now been lost in the Negombo Prison incident, the present government must also accept full responsibility, he said.
“The Government’s ‘System Change’ Has Failed”
Premadasa said the current administration came to power promising a “system change,” but the incident centred on Negombo Prison demonstrates that the existing system has failed. He questioned whether the government is incapable of maintaining law and order and asked why it has failed to ensure a proper and humane prison administration. Since the public is closely watching these developments, the government must provide answers, he added.
Calls for an Independent Investigation
The Opposition Leader said the incident requires an independent, impartial and transparent investigation. He stressed that the inquiry should not be conducted by a committee appointed merely to produce a report favourable to the government, but by a genuinely independent body capable of establishing the facts.
“Set Aside Arrogance and Act Responsibly”
Premadasa further stated that national security extends far beyond conventional security concerns and includes education, the economy, prisons, law and order. Referring to the government’s past criticism of the opposition over national security, he said the administration should now abandon its arrogance, answer the serious questions raised by the public, adopt a more humble approach, and focus on resolving the country’s pressing problems.
