There are suspicions that the recent unrest at the Mahara Prison may have been part of an organized attempt to disrupt the country's prison system, the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara has stated.

Making a special statement in Parliament today (04), the Justice Minister said authorities were also monitoring the possibility of similar incidents spreading to other prisons.

He stated that the relevant authorities were coordinating efforts to ensure that any such situations could be brought under control while minimizing the loss of life.

The Minister further revealed that prison authorities had already been informed of intelligence indicating the possibility of similar unrest in two or three other prisons.

Referring to recent incidents, Minister Nanayakkara said the disturbance at the Negombo Prison was the result of a drug-related dispute among inmates, whereas the Mahara Prison incident was directed against the prison administration.

He said the involvement of nearly 1,000 inmates in coordinated acts of arson had raised suspicions of an organized conspiracy. If investigations confirm such a plot, those responsible will face legal action, he added.

Minister Nanayakkara also noted that the property damaged during the unrest had been built using taxpayers' money, and that the cost of reconstruction would ultimately be borne by the general public.

Meanwhile, the Justice Minister announced that a special committee had been appointed to investigate the incident. Chaired by Minister Nanayakkara, the committee includes Minister Ananda Wijepala, ministry secretaries, Police officers, representatives of the Government Analyst's Department and the Attorney General's Department.