The Acting Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Weligama Police Station had been granted bail after surrendering to the Matara Magistrate’s Court (MC) yesterday (4). 

He has been ordered released on two personal bails of Rs. 500,000 each. Additionally, the Court imposed an overseas travel ban on the suspect and ordered him to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today (5).

The Acting Weligama OIC had surrendered to the Court in connection with a shooting incident that occurred at a hotel in the Weligama area in 2023. 

The Court had issued arrest warrants against him and several Police officers including the Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon.   

On 1 March, the Matara MC imposed an overseas travel ban on Tennakoon based on a request made by the CID following reports that although the investigating officers had searched the residences of Tennakoon located at Hokandara and Giriulla, they had failed to find him at those homes.

The Matara MC had ordered the arrest of eight persons including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division and Tennakoon on 28 February, and to name them as suspects in the shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama, Matara, on 31 December 2023.