Negombo Prison Superintendent Anurudhdha Sampayo who was absconding for nearly two weeks was finally arrested in Kurunegala on today (02) according to the Police.
Holding a press conference for the first time in its 136 year long history the Attorney General’s Department on Friday (08) gave the Police a dressing down over its failure to arrest Sampayo after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Negombo Magistrate’s Court had issued a warrant for the arrest of Sampayo on July 22 on the request of the CID, after the Attorney General directed the CID to obtain a warrant for his arrest. However the Police had failed to trace Sampayo and the other suspects.
On July 27, one suspect in the case Jailor Kalinga Kaluaggala surrendered to the CID while the second and third suspects of the case Head Jailor Sarath Bandara and Jailor Sarath Nishantha handed themselves over to the courts over the week.
During the press briefing Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris pointed out that the Police have failed to locate and arrest Sampayo even after a lapse of 12 days since the warrant was issued by the Negombo Magistrates Courts.
Peiris noted that the present system gives courage to criminals and wanted suspects like Sampayo to show blatant disregard to the judicial system. Peiris stressed it is of paramount importance for the Acting Inspector General of Police to appear in court and show interest in the matter and explain as to why the Sri Lanka Police has failed to enforce the warrants and why it cannot locate and arrest Prison Superintendent Anurudhdha Sampayo
The accusations by the AG’s Department led to the Police to deny that it was willfully neglecting to arrest interdicted Negombo Prison Superintendent Anurudhda Sampayo. Two Police teams had been deployed to trace him and the Police on Thursday (03) also grilled two siblings of Sampayo in a bid to elicit information on his whereabouts. Accordingly the CID had recorded statements from his brother and sister after summoning them to the CID.
The arrest today had been made by a team led by Negombo HQI CI Woodler. Sampayo is to be produced to the Negombo Magistrates Court following his arrest. The warrants were issued on interdicted Superintendent of Negombo Prison Anuradha Sampayo, and others in connection to a number of irregularities that had occurred in the Negombo Prison.
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