National Police Commission (NPC) Chairman Lalith Ekanayake is confident that the institution will be able to reduce its longstanding backlog of public complaints against the Police by nearly 40% before the end of the year. 

According to Ekanayake, this target is achievable due to intensified internal procedures, extended working hours, and administrative reforms implemented by the present commission.

His comments came following questions raised by The Sunday Morning subsequent to the publication of a detailed audit report for the year ending 31 December 2024, which highlighted severe delays, institutional shortcomings, and operational weaknesses affecting the commission’s core functions. 

According to Ekanayake, the audit reflects a historical accumulation of unresolved complaints rather than the true position of the current commission. He said that he had assumed office in May 2023 and inherited a massive backlog dating back to 2016, which had accumulated without adequate intervention by previous commissions.

He asserted that while the audit was accurate for the period it covered, the commission had since introduced modernised processes, improved record management, and taken steps to accelerate investigations. 

He also noted that the commission received nearly 250 complaints per week in 2025, a level he described as unprecedented, and emphasised that the volume of new grievances demonstrated the urgent need to clear existing cases and improve public confidence in Police accountability.

5,000 complaints unresolved since 2016

The audit provided a comprehensive assessment of the commission’s performance over a nine-year period, revealing that between 2016 and 2024, the NPC had received 5,935 public complaints regarding Police conduct. 

As of 31 December 2024, only 1,033 of these had been investigated and concluded, leaving 4,902 complaints pending. This represents 82% of the total complaints received since 2016, a statistic that underscores the severity of the backlog affecting the institution. 

The audit further noted that none of the complaints submitted directly to the commission’s Head Office had been investigated during this period, an omission the auditors attributed to systemic delays and weaknesses in the investigation process. 

Responding to auditors, the Chief Accounting Officer cited several recurring problems. Many complaints lacked clear or complete information, which required repeated follow-ups that slowed the investigation process. Delays had also been caused by Police stations, supervisory officers, and regional command structures failing to submit required reports promptly. The long-standing vacancy in the position of Deputy Director of the Investigation Division and the high number of complaints received in 2024 had further aggravated the backlog. 

Collectively, these issues had created an environment in which timely investigations became difficult, resulting in prolonged delays that undermined the commission’s ability to provide redress.

Annual complaints on the rise

The audit confirmed a rising trend in public complaints against the Police. 

In 2021, the commission received 1,893 complaints. This number fell slightly to 1,676 in 2022 but surged to 2,448 in 2023 and climbed further to 2,863 in 2024. Although the audit did not identify the exact causes behind this increase, it noted that the steady growth reflected rising public concern regarding the performance of the Sri Lanka Police. 

The audit identified two major categories of complaints. Police inaction accounted for 29% of all complaints in 2024. This included cases in which Police officers had failed to perform their duties, delayed investigations, or neglected to follow legally required procedures. Misuse of power accounted for 23% of complaints and referred broadly to cases where officers exceeded their lawful authority. While the audit did not detail individual examples, the implications were significant. 

When citizens filed complaints and received no action, their trust in policing deteriorated, and allegations of misuse of power further eroded confidence in law enforcement. The audit also concluded that sufficient measures had not been taken to improve the efficiency and independence of the Police as required under Article 155(g)(3) of the Constitution.

Delays affect disciplinary, legal, and appeals functions

The audit highlighted extensive delays in additional areas of the commission’s mandate. The Legal Division had been handling 957 court cases across the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and Administrative Appeals Tribunal at the end of 2024. Only 119 cases had been concluded during the year, with the commission noting that final outcomes depended on court judgments or withdrawals, which were outside the commission’s control.

Nonetheless, auditors recommended that efforts be intensified to secure timely judgments.

Within the Establishment and Disciplinary Division, delays were similarly significant. Of the 150 disciplinary files concerning Government-notified Police officers that had been received during the year, only 54 had been concluded. Furthermore, disciplinary notices had not been issued in five out of eight cases involving senior officers such as Deputy Inspectors General and Senior Deputy Inspectors General.

The commission attributed these delays to the time required to complete primary investigations and the prioritisation of cases involving officers nearing retirement.

The Appeals Division recorded one of the most substantial backlogs. Of the 4,375 appeals received by the end of 2024, a total of 3,015 remained pending. The audit observed that appeals review processes required a detailed study, contributing to the accumulation of unresolved cases.

Governance and administrative failures

The audit identified several procedural and administrative deficiencies. Under Article 155(g)(1)(a) of the Constitution, the commission was required to publish its Rules of Procedure in the gazette. These rules, although drafted and submitted to the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) for observations, had still not been published as at the end of 2024. The audit stressed that the commission must finalise this requirement without delay. 

The report also noted that procedures relating to recruitment, promotion, and transfer of non-executive Police officers and supporting service categories remained incomplete. Although the commission said the necessary revisions had been approved and communicated to the relevant authorities, the audit stressed that these procedures were critical for effective human resource management.

A further deficiency was the absence of an Internal Audit Unit. Section 40 of the National Audit Act requires all public institutions to maintain internal audit functions, yet the NPC had not been able to appoint an internal auditor despite repeated requests to the relevant authorities. The absence of this capacity meant that no internal audit was conducted during the year under review, limiting oversight and increasing exposure to risk. 

Human resource shortages were one of the most significant operational challenges identified in the audit. As at the end of 2024, the commission had 26 vacant positions across various levels, including seven senior-level posts. These vacancies represented 23% of all senior positions and were described as directly affecting the commission’s ability to meet its objectives. 

The commission acknowledged this constraint and stated that repeated requests to fill these positions had been submitted to the appropriate authorities, but the posts remained vacant. The audit concluded that these gaps had significantly hindered institutional performance. 

Chairman Ekanayake repeatedly emphasised that the current commission should not be judged solely on the shortcomings identified in the audit. He pointed out that when he assumed office in May 2023, the backlog of complaints, disciplinary actions, appeals, and legal matters had already been accumulating for many years. He said the present commission had been compelled to address not only new complaints but years of unresolved cases, all within an institutional framework that had changed significantly following the 21st Amendment. 

Ekanayake explained that the 21st Amendment expanded the commission’s responsibilities beyond public complaints to include the appointment, promotion, transfer, and disciplinary regulation of Police officers. More than 10,000 had been transferred from the Public Service Commission as a result, which he described as a significant administrative burden. 

These files had to be reviewed using the commission’s existing staff, who were already managing thousands of complaints and appeals. According to him, the commission has processed more than 10,000 official documents during the past two-and-a-half years, with staff regularly working from 8.30 a.m. until as late as 7.30 or 8 p.m.

He emphasised that the staffing crisis remained one of the most significant obstacles to improved performance. He said that there were approximately 24 vacancies at present, including 11 posts designated for officers of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service. Despite repeated written requests to the Ministry of Public Administration, the President, and even the Speaker, the vacancies have not been filled. 

He stressed that it was unreasonable to expect the commission to clear its backlog without adequate staffing support and that this staffing problem was not unique to the NPC but affected numerous Government institutions.

Modernisation and procedural constraints

Beyond addressing the backlog, Ekanayake said the commission had taken steps to modernise internal administration. He said that when he assumed office, there had been no adequate record management system in place, prompting him to establish a proper record room to ensure transparency and accountability. 

The commission had also prepared new legal documents, procedural regulations, a transfer policy, and schemes of recruitment, all of which were submitted to the Legal Draftsman and Parliament. He said these reforms were necessary to ensure that the commission operated according to modern administrative standards.

He also outlined the procedural steps required for handling public complaints. Once a complaint is received, an acknowledgment is issued and the case is forwarded to the relevant Police station or supervising officer, whether an Officer in Charge, Senior Superintendent of Police, or Deputy Inspector General. The commission has to then wait for these officers to provide the required reports before it can proceed. 

Ekanayake emphasised that delays often occurred not within the commission but within the Police reporting process and that the NPC was bound to follow established legal and procedural requirements rather than act arbitrarily. 

As an example of the commission’s authority, he cited the dismissal of former Chief of the State Intelligence Service Nilantha Jayawardena. This decision had been taken after the Supreme Court directed the commission to initiate disciplinary proceedings based on identified failures. A retired High Court judge had been appointed to conduct the inquiry, and the officer had been found guilty on four charges. Ekanayake said this demonstrated that the commission could take decisive action when the legal framework was clear and procedural requirements were met.

Alternative avenues

Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Commissioner Nimal Punchihewa confirmed that members of the public could bring complaints directly to the HRCSL if they believed their cases at the NPC were not progressing. He said that upon receiving a complaint, the HRCSL would conduct an inquiry and issue recommendations to the responsible authority, including the Inspector General of Police. 

He acknowledged that there were instances in which recommendations had not been implemented, in which case the HRCSL reported the matter to the President. He also noted that complaints relating to illegal arrest or deprivation of rights could be directed to the commission and that detailed statistics were held by the HRCSL’s Director of Inquiries and Investigations.

Police Spokesperson rejects responsibility 

Meanwhile, Police Spokesperson ASP F.U. Wootler said the Police Department was not responsible for delays at the NPC and that specific details regarding pending cases were maintained solely by the commission. He suggested that citizens seeking updates should contact the NPC directly.

He also outlined the various avenues through which complaints could be lodged against Police officers, including the Officer in Charge of a station, the relevant Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), the IGP, the Police Ombudsman, the Supreme Court for fundamental rights applications, and the NPC itself. 

Institutional frameworks

The audit recommended that the commission take immediate steps to reduce the backlog, fulfil outstanding procedural requirements, and strengthen institutional structures. It emphasised that additional staff must be appointed to enable the NPC to perform its functions effectively. 

As the commission prepares for another year marked by rising public expectations and increasing complaint volumes, its ability to deliver measurable results will depend heavily on whether its staffing constraints and administrative deficiencies are addressed by the relevant authorities.

Ekanayake concluded that the criticism contained in the audit should not overshadow the structural challenges the institution faced or the progress it had made in recent years. He reiterated that without addressing staff shortages and institutional constraints, no commission, regardless of leadership, could be expected to resolve the backlog at the required pace. 

While Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Dr. Chandana Abayarathna could not be contacted, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated that the NPC was an independent commission. 

He also said that while he was yet unaware of the structural challenges faced by the NPC, he was not able to follow up on the matter to provide a more comprehensive response, considering that the country was going through unforeseen predicaments resulting from Cyclone Ditwah and that he was compelled to dedicate his undistracted attention to the immediate needs of the victims and relief efforts.