Opposition raises concerns over recent police transfers

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera 

Colombo, Oct. 8 (Daily Mirror) - Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today registered his strong protest in Parliament claiming that the government has transferred the powers of the Police Commission over police transfers to the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

He told Parliament that Sri Lanka is not a police regime and said that there must be checks and balances in a democratic country.

The Opposition Leader said the government must not make the Police Commission a cat's paw of the government.

He said the government must take immediate measures to address this issue.

SJB MP Sujeewa Senasinghe said a gazette notification has been issued transferring powers of the Police Commission to the IGP.

Chief Government Whip Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the Opposition is trying to create a bugbear of the matter and added that police transfers have been made with the approval of the Police Commission.

The Minister said there is no issue if the Police Commission transfers its powers to the IGP on its own accord and pointed out that then, the police officers will have a Commission to appeal over the transfers, whereas they did not have any opportunity to appeal earlier.

Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne said the matter will be referred to the Constitutional Council.