Expensive mobile phone found near Ranjan’s cell

by Norman Palihawadane

A smartphone, found buried near the Special Section ‘Y’, where MP Ranjan Ramanayake and several other inmates are held in the Angunakolapelessa Prison, is worth over Rs 500,000, says Prisons Reforms State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.

Minister Ratwatte told The Island yesterday that the find was a confirmation of the suspicion that prison officers had taken bribes from the contacts of inmates to smuggle phones into the jail.

The phone was recovered following a tip-off received by the Prison Intelligence Unit

The mobile phone with no IMEI number mentioned on it had been found buried between the section ‘Y’ and the parapet wall around 11.40 a.m. during a raid, the minister said. “A Samsung J2 mobile phone was found buried between the Y ward and the prison wall. Some prison officers are believed to have helped smuggle in mobile phones for a fee from the contacts of inmates. Thereafter, we fixed CCTV cameras in the area. There is information that the prison officers are taking money to help inmates to get mobile phones at Mahara, Kalutara, Boossa, Nogembo and Welikada prisons. This racket will be brought to an end soon.”

Further investigations were being carried out and the mobile phone had been handed over to the CID for inquiries, the minister said.