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The violent clash between two groups of inmates at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, 2026, a crisis that left 26 people dead with dozens hospitalised, set off a wave of public anger. Bad actors moved to exploit that volatile moment for political and personal ends, floating doctored cards dressed up as TV and newspaper bulletins that put words in the mouths of the President, several ministers, a senior journalist and an opposition figure. We investigated each one. Here is what we found.
Social Media Posts
Claim 1: Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara’s Statement
Presented as an official ITN News bulletin, a post claimed Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara had said, “I bear no responsibility for what happened at Negombo Prison; government officials are there to manage such matters.”
Fact-Check:
The statement is entirely fabricated and doctored. In reality, speaking to the media after the clash, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara officially said he takes full responsibility for the incident, since the institution falls under his purview. He stressed that he was deeply distressed by the loss of life and had ordered an immediate investigation with a report to follow.
Claim 2: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Statement
Formatted as an official Rupavahini News bulletin, a post claimed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had told the nation, “I am not a prison warden, tasked with resolving the prison clash.” It was shared this way over WhatsApp.
Fact-Check:
Rupavahini News Service has published no such report, and the President made no such statement to the nation. When we contacted the Presidential Media Division, they said the President had instructed the Ministry of Justice to secure the prison and to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
Claim 3: Journalist Kasun Pussewela’s Statement
Built with the LankaNews logo, a post claimed investigative journalist Kasun Pussewela had said, “If prison inmates riot and turn violent, the state holds the absolute right to suppress them with even greater force.”
Fact-Check:
Kasun Pussewela made no such statement on his Facebook account. He did make two separate posts on the Negombo Prison incident. In the first, he wrote that history would hold current President Anura Kumara accountable for the Negombo clash, just as past heads of state had been held responsible for prison unrest during their tenures.
The second cited a statement Anura Kumara Dissanayake made in Parliament in 2020, when he was still a JVP MP, after a violent clash between inmates and officers at Mahara Prison left several inmates dead. He had said that all inmates held in prisons remain in the custody of the state, so the government must bear responsibility for ensuring the safety and protection of their lives.
He also filed a complaint with the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission calling for an investigation into the Negombo clash, posted here. That complaint demanded a swift, independent inquiry into the state’s failure to protect the lives of those in its custody, and made no mention of suppressing inmates, as the circulating post falsely claims.
This too is a completely fabricated statement. Kasun Pussewela has long championed the human rights of prison inmates and even authored a book, “12 11 10 Welikada,” on the Welikada prison clash. He made no such statement anywhere, and the fake post appears deliberately crafted to damage his reputation amid the unrest.
The photograph used in the fabricated post was, moreover, taken during a speech Kasun Pussewela delivered at a commemoration held on November 11 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, marking the 13th anniversary of the Welikada prison massacre and International Prisoners’ Day, organised by the Prisoners’ Rights Protection Committee.
When we reached out to him, Kasun Pussewela confirmed that fabricated posts had been published attributing statements to him that he never made, aimed at defaming him.
Claim 4: Minister K.D. Lalkantha’s Statement
A post claimed Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha had said, “Although this incident is tragic, such events do help ease prison overcrowding.”
Fact-Check:
The Minister made no such statement. The fabricated post steals Daily Mirror’s official digital news-card template and logo. Daily Mirror has published no such story.
Claim 5: UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena’s Statement
Presented as remarks by UNP Chairman and former MP Wajira Abeywardena at a media briefing, a post claimed he had said, “The situation in Negombo is grave. Hand over the government to eighth President Ranil Wickremesinghe immediately, or the country will be in danger.”
Facebook | Archived Link | Facebook (2) | Archived Link (2)
Fact-Check:
No such statement appears on the UNP’s official website or its official social media accounts, and no leading credible media outlet in Sri Lanka has reported Wajira Abeywardena saying the situation in Negombo is grave or calling for the government to be handed over to Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Wajira Abeywardena made no such statement, and his media office confirmed to us that this is a fabricated post circulating on social media.
The post is also captioned “Galle Kotta,” a derogatory nickname referencing Abeywardena’s home region of Galle that is widely used to mock him online. No official statement or party communication would carry such a disparaging epithet, another sign the card is fake.
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Conclusion
Every one of these five statements, attributed to Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, journalist Kasun Pussewela, Minister K.D. Lalkantha and UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena, is fabricated. Each was dressed in the branding of a real broadcaster or newspaper to look authentic, and in every case the named person, their office or the named outlet has confirmed the words were never said. We therefore rate these circulating statements false.
Title: Debunking Fake Quotes Amid the Negombo Prison Crisis
Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali
Result: False
