Latest news with #DeshabanduTennakoon
Khaleej Times
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Sri Lanka to sack jailed police chief over a botched drug raid
Sri Lanka's ruling party said on Tuesday it would sack the island nation's police chief, who is in custody awaiting trial over a botched drug raid that resulted in an officer's death. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's ruling coalition submitted a resolution to that effect in parliament, beginning a lengthy legal process to dismiss Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon. "We hope the speaker will act promptly on the resolution," lawmaker and deputy labour minister Mahinda Jayasinghe told reporters outside the legislature. "We want him removed on four counts -- corruption, misconduct, abuse of power, and gross partiality in office." Dissanayake is required to address parliament before appointing a three-member panel to investigate the allegations. If Tennakoon is found guilty, an absolute majority of lawmakers must endorse his removal. Dissanayake's leftist National People Power (NPP) coalition has the numbers to comfortably remove Tennakoon after a landslide election victory last year. The police chief turned himself in to authorities last week after more than a fortnight on the run from an arrest warrant. He stands accused of authorising an ill-fated drug bust in 2023, allegedly in violation of internal regulations, which triggered a gun battle between competing police units in the southern coastal resort town of Weligama. One police officer was killed, and another was critically wounded in the incident. No drugs were found. Tennakoon was appointed police chief in November 2023, but the move was challenged in the Supreme Court, which suspended him last July pending the outcome of a separate case. He was given the top job despite Sri Lanka's highest court ruling that he had tortured a suspect in custody by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals. The Supreme Court ordered Tennakoon to pay half a million rupees ($1,666) in compensation to the victim, but the previous government ignored judicial orders to take disciplinary action against him. State prosecutor Dileepa Peeris told a court last week that Tennakoon was the "head of a criminal network" and unfit to lead the 85,000-strong police force.
Khaleej Times
17-03-2025
- Khaleej Times
Sri Lanka court refuses to stop fugitive police chief's arrest
A Sri Lankan court refused on Monday to quash an arrest warrant for the island nation's fugitive police chief who is wanted over an officer's death in a botched raid. Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon has been in hiding since the arrest warrant was issued in February and police have made a public appeal to help find him. He stands accused of authorising an ill-fated drug bust in 2023, allegedly against internal regulations, that sparked a gun battle between competing police units. Despite Tennakoon being in hiding, he still managed to file a writ urging the arrest warrant be cancelled, which the Court of Appeal refused to grant in Monday's ruling. Police said Sunday they had deployed six special units to track down Tennakoon but were only able to trace his wife and son, who claimed they were unaware of his whereabouts. Failure to locate the police chief has "undermined public confidence in the police force", spokesman Buddhika Manatunga told reporters. A foreign travel ban has been imposed on Tennakoon in case he tries to flee the island. The state prosecutor told another court hearing last week that evidence had emerged of Tennakoon operating a paramilitary hit squad to carry out illegal activities. A magistrate ordered Tennakoon's arrest in February following allegations he authorised an illegal raid in the southern coastal resort town of Weligama. Local police, unaware of the undercover operation, confronted the unit, sparking a gun battle in which one officer was killed and another critically wounded. No drugs were found. Tennakoon was appointed police chief in November 2023, but the move was challenged in the Supreme Court, which suspended him last July pending the outcome of a separate court case. The next hearing in that case is due in May. He was given the top job despite the country's highest court ruling in another case that he had tortured a suspect in custody. The Supreme Court had ordered Tennakoon to pay half a million rupees ($1,600) to the victim in compensation, but the government at the time ignored judicial orders to take disciplinary action against him.
Express Tribune
03-03-2025
- Express Tribune
SL hunts for police chief over deadly raid
Sri Lankan police were searching for their chief on Sunday after a court order for his arrest was issued over the killing of an officer during a botched raid, an official said. Inspector-General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon has been missing since a magistrate in the island's south ordered his arrest on Friday, following allegations that he had ordered the raid on December 31, 2023. "We went to his home to carry out the arrest warrant but he had gone into hiding, leaving behind his bodyguards," a senior officer told AFP. He said the court had also imposed a foreign travel ban on Tennakoon, 53, to stop him from leaving the island. Tennakoon ordered a unit from Colombo to search a hotel in Weligama, a resort town about 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of the capital, for illegal drugs.
Arab News
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Sri Lanka hunts for police chief over deadly raid
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police were searching for their chief on Sunday after a court order for his arrest was issued over the killing of an officer during a botched raid, an official said. Inspector-General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon has been missing since a magistrate in the island's south ordered his arrest on Friday, following allegations that he had ordered the raid on Dece. 31, 2023. 'We went to his home to carry out the arrest warrant but he had gone into hiding, leaving behind his bodyguards,' a senior officer said. He said the court had also imposed a foreign travel ban on Tennakoon, 53, to stop him from leaving the island. Tennakoon ordered a unit from Colombo to search a hotel in Weligama, a resort town about 150 kilometers south of the capital, for illegal drugs. Local police, unaware of the undercover operation, confronted the unit from the capital, sparking a gunbattle in which one officer was killed and another critically wounded. No drugs were found at the hotel. Tennakoon was controversially named as police chief in November 2023 but his appointment was challenged in the Supreme Court, which suspended him in July pending the completion of a hearing. He was given the top job despite the highest court finding in a separate case that he had tortured a suspect. The court had ordered Tennakoon to pay half a million rupees ($1,600) to the victim but the government at the time ignored judicial orders to take disciplinary action against him. Separately, Sri Lanka's leftist president recently received a boost from Washington, with the International Monetary Fund greenlighting a roughly $330 million payout under an existing loan agreement. The IMF board approved the latest review of an existing four-year loan agreement, noting in a statement that Sri Lanka's program performance 'has been strong,' and that almost all quantitative targets had been met. The board's approval gives Sri Lanka 'immediate access' to around $334 million to support its economic policies and reform program, the IMF said, and follows an earlier staff level agreement struck with the Sri Lankan authorities. 'Reforms in Sri Lanka are bearing fruit and the economic recovery has been remarkable,' IMF deputy managing director Kenji Okamura said in a statement.
Khaleej Times
02-03-2025
- Khaleej Times
Sri Lanka hunts for police chief over deadly 2023 raid
Sri Lankan police were searching for their chief on Sunday after a court order for his arrest was issued over the killing of an officer during a botched raid, an official said. Inspector-General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon has been missing since a magistrate in the island's south ordered his arrest on Friday, following allegations that he had ordered the raid on December 31, 2023. "We went to his home to carry out the arrest warrant but he had gone into hiding, leaving behind his bodyguards," a senior officer told AFP. He said the court had also imposed a foreign travel ban on Tennakoon, 53, to stop him from leaving the island. Tennakoon ordered a unit from Colombo to search a hotel in Weligama, a resort town about 150 kilometres south of the capital, for illegal drugs. Local police, unaware of the undercover operation, confronted the unit from the capital, sparking a gun battle in which one officer was killed and another critically wounded. No drugs were found at the hotel. Tennakoon was controversially named as police chief in November 2023 but his appointment was challenged in the Supreme Court, which suspended him in July pending the completion of a hearing. He was given the top job despite the highest court finding in a separate case that he had tortured a suspect in custody by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals. The court had ordered Tennakoon to pay half a million rupees ($1,600) to the victim but the government at the time ignored judicial orders to take disciplinary action against him.
