The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today (14) informed the Negombo Magistrate’s Court that 271 bullet shells had been recovered from the Negombo Prison premises during investigations into the recent prison unrest.

The revelation was made when the case was taken up before Negombo Magistrate Shalani Perera, Ada Derana reporter said.

The CID said around 40 officers, divided into three teams, are conducting investigations into the incident.

Investigative officers told the court that statements had so far been recorded from 136 prison officers, 141 inmates and nine Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel. They added that 2,417 inmates and 166 prison officers were present within the prison premises when the unrest occurred.

According to the CID, the unrest began on July 5 following an altercation involving an inmate, before escalating into large-scale violence in which three inmates were killed and 36 others were injured.

The CID further informed the court that a T-56 assault rifle and a magazine had been recovered from inside the prison. Investigators have also taken into custody 60 firearms—50 issued to Negombo Prison officers and 10 to officers deployed from Welikada Prison—for forensic examination.

Court was also informed that two DVR hard drives containing CCTV footage from the prison had been produced as case material and would be forwarded to the University of Moratuwa's Computer Forensics Laboratory for analysis.

The CID said investigations are continuing into alleged offences, including murder, violations of the Firearms Ordinance and the Public Property Act, while legal advice has also been sought from the Attorney General.

After considering the submissions, Magistrate Perera ordered the CID to obtain reports relating to all inmates who were at the prison during the unrest and to record statements from those who have since been transferred to other prisons under the supervision of the Commissioner General of Prisons.

The case was postponed until July 16.