The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deshabandu Tennakoon – presently suspended by Court from performing the duties and functions of the said office – has been ordered to be further remanded until 3 April by the Matara Magistrate’s Court (MC).
Tennakoon, who was subject to an arrest warrant in connection with a shooting incident near a hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama in 2023, surrendered to Court by submitting a motion on Wednesday (19), after evading arrest for nearly 20 days. Following his surrender, the Matara Magistrate ordered that he be remanded until yesterday (20). In compliance with this order, Tennakoon was transferred to the Angunakolapelessa maximum security Prison under special security on Wednesday evening, according to Prison sources. He had been detained in a normal ward at the Prison, according to Prison sources.
The Matara MC had previously issued an arrest order for eight Police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in front of the W15 Hotel in Pelena in Weligama, Matara, on 31 December 2023.
Following this, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was instructed to arrest and present the eight individuals, including Tennakoon, before Court. However, CID teams were unable to locate the Police Chief, who had been evading arrest for several days.
On 17 March, the Court of Appeal (CA) dismissed the writ petition filed by Tennakoon, in which he sought an interim injunction to prevent the execution of the arrest order issued by the Matara MC in connection with the shooting incident. The CA subsequently directed the CID to take immediate steps to arrest Tennakoon and present him before Court.
Additionally, it was reported that an agreement was reached between the Attorney General (AG) and the legal counsel of the suspects implicated in the 2023 shooting incident near the hotel in Weligama. In this regard, the AG issued a special notice on 16 March concerning the order to arrest Tennakoon and six other suspects in connection with the incident. As per the agreement, the AG instructed the CID not to arrest the Officer-in-Charge of the CCD and five other suspected individuals, excluding Tennakoon, who had been absconding and was wanted in connection with the incident.