Sri Lanka Police Chief found guilty of misconduct and abuse of power

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandhu Tennakoon, the head of the Sri Lanka Police, has been found guilty of all allegations related to misconduct and gross abuse of power by a constitutionally appointed Committee of Inquiry.

Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne confirmed today (July 22) that he has received the committee’s final report, which recommends the immediate removal of Tennakoon from his position as IGP.

The Speaker described this as a historic development in Sri Lanka’s constitutional process, noting that it is the first time such a recommendation has been made for a sitting IGP under the law.

The Committee of Inquiry was established under Section 5 of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act, No. 5 of 2002, following a resolution passed in Parliament on April 8, 2025. The investigation was conducted under Sections 3(d), 3(e), 5, and 8.2 of the same Act.

The three-member committee consisted of Supreme Court Justice Preethi Padman Surasena (Chairman), Court of Appeal Justice Neil Iddawala, and Lalit Ekanayake, Chairman of the National Police Commission. After a detailed inquiry, the committee unanimously found IGP Tennakoon guilty.

Following the findings, the Speaker has instructed that a resolution reflecting the committee’s decision be added to the Parliament’s Order Paper for debate and voting, as required under Section 17 of the Act.

Additionally, the Speaker has directed the Secretary-General of Parliament to table the report as an official Parliamentary Paper.

It will be available in printed form in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, while a digital version in English will be published on the official Parliament website to ensure transparency and public access.

Further steps will be taken depending on the outcome of the parliamentary vote.