• Name to be submitted to upcoming CC meeting

Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to be appointed as the next IGP, a top State official disclosed to The Sunday Morning.

According to the revelation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe will forward the appointment to the next Constitutional Council (CC) for approval.

Tennakoon assumed the role of Acting IGP on 29 November, replacing C.D. Wickramaratne who had previously received four service extensions.

Tennakoon, a member of the Police service since 1998, is slated to reach retirement age in 2032.

As Tennakoon’s term as Acting IGP will conclude on 29 February, the State official indicated that, contrary to previous suggestions of an extension, he was poised to be permanently appointed as IGP.

This decision is expected to be confirmed during the upcoming CC meeting.

Tennakoon’s impending appointment has stirred controversy, with the Opposition and human rights activists raising concerns about alleged torture of detainees and obstruction of investigations under his command.

Operation ‘Yukthiya,’ conducted during his tenure, has faced criticism for the reported torture and mistreatment of arrested suspects. Additionally, his alleged involvement in the attack at the ‘GotaGoGama’ protest site at Galle Face Green on 9 May 2022 has also drawn criticism.

However, when questioned, Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa declined to comment, stating that the decision lay with the President and should be communicated through the Presidential Secretariat.