AG orders probes on Police Spokesman’s statement and Negombo HQI’s conduct

The Attorney General has directed the Acting IGP to conduct investigations with regard to the statement made by the Police Media Spokesman and the conduct of Negombo HQI with regard to the execution of the warrant against former Superintendent of Negombo Prison Anuruddha Sampayo.

This was revealed by the Attorney General’s Coordinating Officer, Senior State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne.

On July 22, following directions of the Attorney General, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) obtained arrest warrants on Anuruddha Sampayo and 03 other officials of the Negombo Prison from the Negombo Magistrate.

Arrest warrants had been issued on the interdicted Superintendent P.W.W.U.P. Anuruddha Sampayo, Chief Jailors Sarath Bandara and Nishantha Senaratne and Jailor Kalinga Kaluaggala.

Negombo Prisons Jailor Kalinga Kaluaggala surrendered to the CID on July 25 and was subsequently remanded while Chief Jailors Sarath Bandara and Nishantha Senarathna surrendered to the Negombo Magistrate’s Court on July 29. They were also ordered remanded after being produced before the court. 

Meanwhile, the interdicted Prison Superintendent Sampayo had filed a writ petition at the Court of Appeal, seeking an injunction preventing him from being arrested by the CID.

Former Superintendent of the Negombo Prison Anuruddha Sampayo who was in hiding for more than 11 days was taken into police custody on the 2nd of August by Negombo Police in Kurunegala. 

He was then transferred to the CID in Colombo and remanded after being produced before the court.

During previous court proceedings, the Attorney General’s Department had questioned as to why the Negombo HQI had travelled to Kurunegala to arrest Sampayo when there are several police stations within the Kurunegala District. 

Sampayo and the three jailors of Negombo Prison are charged with providing special facilities to a group of prison inmates and forging documents to aid the transfers of convicts and help them continue criminal activities.