Constitutional Council Approves Priyantha Weerasuriya as 37th IGP

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Constitutional Council has approved the appointment of Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasuriya as the country’s 37th Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The decision was made during a Council meeting held this (12) afternoon, following a nomination submitted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The appointment comes in the wake of Parliament’s majority vote to remove Deshabandu Tennakoon from the post, citing concerns over accountability and public trust.

In 2024, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasooriya as the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Notably, SDIG Priyantha Weerasooriya is the first officer in the 158-year history of the police service to rise from the rank of police constable to Inspector General of Police.

A Law graduate from the University of Colombo, he became an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) after being sworn in as a lawyer at the Sri Lanka Law College.

Having served as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) overseeing Crime and Traffic, as well as the Director of Police Logistics, SDIG Weerasooriya has participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions in East Timor and Haiti.

At the time of his appointment as Acting IGP, he was serving as the SDIG in charge of the North Central Province.