Govt. MPs make 23 charges against Deshabandu

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Ruling party MPs have come up with 23 charges against IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon in their motion to remove him from his office.
As per the motion, the 115 MPs who have argued that Tennakoon is not fit to hold office as nine fundamental rights cases have been filed challenging his appointment by the former President who had claimed his name has been approved by the Constitutional Council. The MPs claim that there is a strong prima facie case in this regard, as the Supreme Court has issued a stay order against his functioning as IGP.
The other charges include his involvement in the Weligama incident. The MPs said in the motion that Tennakoon has engaged in misconduct of power by sending eight police officers to Weligama and by getting them to engage in illegal activities. The MPs further accuse him of facilitating misconduct by getting the eight police officers whom he sent to Weligama to open fire at W 15 Hotel at Pelena, Weligama in a surreptitious manner and committing misconduct in terms of Section 3(d) of the Removal of Officers ( Procedure) Act No. 5 of 2002.
They claim that he had brought disrepute to the IGP’s office and to the Department of Police through his conduct. Tennakoon is charged for his failure to take action against certain persons who have engaged in crime under the penal code.
The motion to remove Tennakoon from office was handed over to the Speaker on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The motion is to be debated on April 8 and 9, 2025.