Although there are requests from Parliamentarians including Ministers to assign Police officers of their choice for their security, the Police stated that such deployments are made only if there is a reasonable background and capacity for fulfilling such requests.

It was recently reported that certain MPs have requested the Police Headquarters to deploy Police officers of their choice for their security, particularly when the number of Police officers attached to MPs was increased during the 'aragalaya (people's struggle which demanded the resignation of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government)’.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (12), Police Media Spokesman, Senior Superintendent of Police and Attorney Nihal Thalduwa said that Police officers attached to the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) are always being deployed for MPs' security. In response to a query as to whether such deployments are made as per the nominations by the relevant MP, he said: "No. It is the Police officers from the MSD that are usually being deployed. However, in certain special cases, there are MPs who ask for a particular Police officer or officers to be deployed for their security. When such requests are made, the Police would consider such, and fulfill them only if there is a reasonable background and capability to do so."

He said that the Police, at times, has to follow a lenient policy in deploying officers for MPs' security as it is a matter concerning their security. "There are strict regulations regarding the provision of security to very important persons (VIPs) including MPs, but it is not possible to have such regulations in the deployment of officers. The Police have to follow flexible and lenient policies at certain times. That is because this is a matter about their security. Therefore, we can't force them to have the officer deployed by the Police. Just imagine if we don't heed a request from a certain MP to deploy an officer of their choice, and then something happens to them. That is the issue. We have to pay attention to all such matters."

It was also reported that age and physical fitness related matters of the Police officers have not been considered and that the relevant interviews have not been held when the attachments of Police officers for MPs' security were made during the 'aragalaya'. In response to such claims, Thalduwa said that there is no need for such matters to be considered and for interviews to be held in each occasion of officers being deployed for MPs' or VIPs' security as all officers attached to the MSD have undergone the relevant training. "The MSD officers have been given all forms of training including those on weapons and other related matters."

Responding to reports that certain MPs have deployed the Police officers attached to their security for domestic work as there is a surplus of officers at present, he said that Police officers are providing security to MPs on a roster basis. "Let's say that there are six officers attached to a particular MP, it is only three out of those six officers who are on duty at a given time and not the entire number of officers."