A Vesak Day presidential pardon in Sri Lanka has spiraled into a national controversy. Allegations of unauthorised prisoner releases have prompted arrests, political backlash, and calls for greater transparency from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has demanded that the President publish the full list of 388 inmates officially granted clemency, following revelations that convicted banker W. M. Athula Tilakaratne was released without authorisation. Tilakaratne, found guilty of misappropriating Rs. 4 million, was not on the approved list, according to the Presidential Secretariat.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has since arrested both the Deputy Commissioner of Anuradhapura Prison and Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya. The government, under mounting scrutiny, has suspended Upuldeniya and launched a formal inquiry.

The Prisons Department initially defended Tilakaratne’s release, citing general pardon criteria. However, with conflicting statements emerging, critics-including MP Namal Rajapaksa-have accused President Dissanayake of failing to uphold his campaign promise of transparent governance. “An executive president cannot claim his signature was misused,” Rajapaksa posted on X.

The unfolding scandal has underscored concerns about systemic accountability in Sri Lanka’s justice and corrections systems, with calls growing for an independent audit of the presidential pardon process.