The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs

¶ 01 [11.50 a.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Speaker, today we debate one of the most significant matters in parliamentary history. For the first time under Section 5 of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act, No. 5 of 2002, a person who held the office of Inspector-General of Police is being moved for removal based on his misconduct, following a transparent process strictly observing all provisions of the Act.

¶ 03 The Committee appointed under the Act, on 19 May 2025, found Mr. Deshabandu Tennakoon guilty on all charges except four out of the 23 in the Charge Sheet handed to him after the Supreme Court had already suspended his powers, functions and duties as IGP. Of the four, two were not inquired into due to ongoing court proceedings; he was exonerated on only two.

¶ 04 Under the Act, one member of the Committee must be a retired Judge of the Supreme Court appointed by the Chief Justice, another the Chairman of the National Police Commission, and the third appointed with the concurrence of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. In fact, the then Chief Justice nominated the next most senior Supreme Court Judge; the NPC Chairman is a former High Court Judge; and the third member is the Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption—a Judicial Officer. Three highly experienced judges unanimously found him guilty on 19 charges, after hearing 38 witnesses summoned by the Attorney-General from both sides.

¶ 05 Parliament now proceeds because he was unfit even to be a Police Constable, let alone IGP, as stated during Supreme Court proceedings in July 2024 by President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris and again on 12 March 2025 by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, in a case where Tennakoon sought a writ to prevent his arrest.

¶ 06 Joining the Police as an ASP on 23 Feb 1998, he became IGP on 29 Feb 2024. He has been at the centre of many controversies:

¶ 07 - Abduction and torture of senior journalist Poddala Jayantha (June 2009): Allegations of undue influence and failure to properly investigate when he was SSP Mirihana; CID recorded his statement in Jan 2019; inquiries stalled after the Nov 2019 Presidential Election.

¶ 08 - Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra assassination (8 Oct 2011): Evidence at the inquest indicated then OIC in charge (SSP Nugegoda) Tennakoon’s vehicle was seen trailing the convoy of R. Duminda Silva. Testimony placed him about 150m from the shootout. Failure to halt an unlawful rally that morning—a duty of the area SSP—contributed to the fatal outcome and subsequent capital convictions.

¶ 09 - Torture case SC FR 107/2011: Supreme Court judgment on 11 Sept 2023 (S. Thurairaja J., Kumuduni Wickremasinghe J., K. Priyantha Fernando J.) found then SSP Nugegoda Deshabandu Tennakoon liable for cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment including ordering degrading acts.

¶ 10 - Easter Sunday attacks (21 Apr 2019): As DIG Western North (Gampaha), despite intelligence on 1 April 2019 from SDIG Western Province Nandana Munasinghe, with directions to discreetly verify, circulate photos, check lodgings, ensure church security, and scrutinize mass events, he merely forwarded a short internal memo and took no effective follow-up. On the day of the attacks he was on leave out of Colombo. Critical safe houses in Negombo/Edimulla in his area were later identified.

¶ 11 - Galle Face (GotaGoGama/“MainaGoGama”) attacks (9 May 2022): After a meeting at Temple Trees, mobs armed with iron rods attacked peaceful protest sites. CID investigations found he was present and failed to stop the attacks. The Attorney-General on 19 April 2023 directed naming him a suspect in MC Colombo Case 22046/22. Though the Court of Appeal issued a writ on 26 June 2023, the Supreme Court on 20 July 2025 stayed that writ.

¶ 12 - Rs. 17,850,000 found in the Presidential House (9 July 2022): Money handed to Police by protesters under MC B 22516/22 was not promptly produced to Court. The Kotahena OIC recorded that then SDIG Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon telephoned and directed handing over the money to the then Minister of Public Security the next day, contrary to law. The Police Special Investigation Unit recommended a charge sheet in Feb 2023; a draft charge sheet was forwarded by then IGP C.D. Wickramaratne to the Ministry.

¶ 13 - Weligama W15 Hotel shooting (31 Sept 2023, early hours): After inquiries, on 22 Oct 2024 the IGP referred the matter to CID; on 27 Feb 2025, the Matara Magistrate ordered CID to arrest and produce Tennakoon and others. He evaded arrest; an open warrant issued on 11 March 2025. His writ in the Court of Appeal to prevent arrest was refused on 17 March 2025, with strong remarks on his disregard for the law.

¶ 14 There are over 40 cases across Superior and Magistrates’ Courts where he appears as respondent, suspect, or accused. He was appointed IGP without due regard to pending cases, investigations, and judgments, and without proper approval of the Constitutional Council. Multiple FR petitions were filed (including by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith and Prof. Savitri Goonesekere), and in July 2024 the Supreme Court issued an interim order suspending his powers, functions and duties as IGP.

¶ 15 For the first time, proceedings to remove an officer under Act No. 5 of 2002 commenced with a motion signed by several MPs on 25 March, followed by appointment of the Committee. The Committee’s 207-page principal decision found him guilty, including on 14 charges arising from the Weligama W15 hotel incident. I quote from the Report:

¶ 16 “The Committee finds, on the evidence, that at the request of the IGP (Accountable), the team of IP Anselm de Silva went to W/15 Hotel, Weligama to open fire. It is unimaginable that the IGP of a country would facilitate such heinous, illegal acts. Firing from a police-issue T-56 into a private hotel, using a police van, deploying officers under his command to commit an unlawful shooting, and damaging the property of an unprotected citizen to intimidate him—no country would wish to have such a person as its Inspector-General of Police.”

¶ 17 From the outset, Mr. Tennakoon bears responsibility for an array of misconduct—arguably the most disreputable record held by an IGP. Today’s resolution will be historic.

¶ 18 Thank you.