Presidential candidate of the National People's Power, Anura Kumara Dissanayake condemned President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to grant presidential pardon to Jude Shramantha Jayamaha.

Jayamaha was a death-row prisoner who was convicted for the famous Royal Park murder in 2005. He was sentenced to death for committing the murder of Yvonne Jonsson, a Swedish teenager.

It was revealed in court that the victim's skull was fractured into 64 pieces before committing the murder.

Dissanayake's statement said the President's action demonstrated how money and social privilege had corrupted the criminal justice process of Sri Lanka.

He said the President's move has challenged the notion that the law applies equally to all citizens.