Deshabandu Tennakoon to be produced before court today

Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, who is currently in remand custody, is scheduled to be produced before the Matara Magistrate’s Court once again today (03).

Tennakoon was remanded until today, after he surrendered to the court on March 19.

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 the court by submitting a motion after absconding for nearly 20 days.

Following his surrender, the Matara Magistrate ordered that the suspect be remanded until today.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued an arrest order for eight police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in front of the W15 Hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama, Matara, on December 31, 2023.

Following this, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was instructed to arrest and present the eight individuals, including Deshabandu Tennakoon, before the court.

On March 17, the Court of Appeal 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 Magistrate’s Court in connection with the shooting incident.

The Court of Appeal subsequently directed the CID to take immediate steps to arrest Tennakoon and present him before the court.

Meanwhile, the motion filed by a group of MPs for the removal of Tennakoon from the post of IGP is scheduled to be tabled in the Parliament on April 08 (Tuesday).