The transfer comes after a fee discovered Deshabandu Tennakoon responsible of gross abuse of energy.
Sri Lanka’s Parliament has voted to fireside the nation’s police chief for misconduct and gross abuse of energy within the island’s first impeachment of an inspector basic.
Lawmakers on Tuesday voted to sack Deshabandu Tennakoon, who was accused of sending a staff of armed officers on a botched raid in 2023 in Weligama that triggered a gun battle with a separate police unit, resulting in the dying of an officer.
Nobody opposed his removing whereas one member abstained. The choice got here after a parliament-appointed committee opened an inquiry into the allegations towards Tennakoon and final month launched a report that discovered him responsible of 19 expenses associated to misconduct and abuse of energy.
The committee discovered that he had “spearheaded the questionable, unlawful act of taking pictures” on the W15 lodge in Weligama, the place a neighborhood police unit opened fireplace on a staff despatched by Tennakoon to intimidate the lodge’s proprietor.
A state prosecutor informed the committee that the police chief, who headed a power of 85,000 officers, was working a “legal community” and was unfit to serve, even on the lowest ranks.
There was no response from Tennakoon for the reason that impeachment course of was initiated final month. The 54-year-old is the primary head of police within the island’s historical past to be dismissed.
He was appointed police chief in 2023 by then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe regardless of protests from opposition lawmakers and civil rights activists who stated he was not match for the put up.
Earlier than his appointment, Sri Lanka’s highest court docket had dominated that he tortured a suspect in custody by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals.
