Sri Lanka’s Police Chief Convicted by Inquiry Panel

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's lnspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has been found guilty of serious allegations by a constitutionally appointed Committee of Inquiry, setting the stage for an unprecedented parliamentary vote on his removal.

The findings, announced by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, follow a thorough investigation conducted under the Removal of Officers Procedure Act No. 5 of 2002.

The Committee, comprising Supreme Court Justice Padman Surasena (Chairman), Court of Appeal Justice Neil Iddawala, and National Police Commission Chairman Lalit Ekanayake, unanimously concluded that the IGP was guilty as charged under Section 8.2 of the Act.

“This marks a historic moment in our constitutional journey,” the Speaker declared, noting that this is the first time in Sri Lanka’s history that such a recommendation has been made for the removal of a sitting IGP under the provisions of the law.

In accordance with Section 17 of the Act, a resolution reflecting the Committee’s findings will be placed in the Order Paper of Parliament for debate and vote. 

The Speaker also directed the Secretary-General of Parliament to table the Committee’s report as a Parliamentary Paper, with copies to be made available in all three official languages. A soft copy in English will be uploaded to the Parliament website to ensure public access and transparency.