The Court of Appeal will take up the writ application filed by interdicted Negombo Prison Superintendent Anuruddha Sampayo for consideration tomorrow (27). Sampayo through his application is seeking an order to stay the arrest warrant issued against him by the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.
When his writ application was taken up for consideration on July 24, the President of the Court of Appeal instructed Sampayo’s Counsel to submit a fresh writ application on Monday (27) instead of a revision petition.
This followed Deputy Solicitor General Milinda Gunathilaka, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General pointing out that although the petitioner had requested that the warrant issued for his arrest be revoked, a copy of the order issued by the Magistrate who issued the warrant had not been presented with the petition. Sampayo was transferred to the Kalutara Prison on May 27 after it was found that he had permitted a remand prisoner to use a refrigerator in his cell. He was transferred again to the Prison Headquarters in Colombo and interdicted.
In his earlier petition, he had stated that there are provisions in the Prison Ordinance to provide electronic equipment to inmates considering their requirements. He also said that steps were being taken to obtain a warrant for his arrest in an arbitrary manner contrary to the law. On Wednesday (22), the Negombo Magistrate’s Court issued an order for the arrest of Negombo Prison Superintendent Anuruddha Sampayo, Chief Jailors Sarath Bandara, Nishantha Senaratne and Jailor Kalinga Kaluaggala. The request for the arrest warrants was made by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on the instructions of the Attorney General. Kaluaggala surrendered to the CID on Friday and was remanded till July 29. Sampayo is absconding and two CID teams have been deployed to arrest him.