• 105 CIs and 34 IPs, mainly from Col. and suburbs  
• Some transfers due to lack of performance 

Police on Tuesday (11) announced that a total of 139 Officers-in-Charge (OICs) have been transferred within the Police Department, marking the largest such group transfer at the same time, in the Department’s recent history, according to Police sources.  

The reshuffle includes 105 Chief Inspectors of Police (CIs) and 34 Inspectors of Police (IPs), with the transfers set to take effect in two phases – yesterday (13) and on 18 February. 

A significant number of OICs from Police stations in Colombo and suburbs have been reassigned to general duties on service requirements, the Police said. Among those transferred, 51 officers who previously served as OICs have been reassigned to general service. Additionally, an officer who served as a Headquarters IP has also been deployed to general duties.

The transfers were approved by the Secretary of the National Police Commission (NPC) and were authorised by the Acting Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya.

The Police stated that none of the recent OIC transfers took place due to political reasons. Police Media Spokesperson, Senior Superintendent of Police and attorney Buddhika Manathunga explained that these transfers were carried out in a context where OICs had not been reassigned for a long time. He further stated that the lack of performance by some officers was also a reason for the transfers. 

“This has been an ongoing process. There have been no transfers for nearly three years. There is no political influence in this. Some officers have been reassigned to general duties, while others have been given good positions. No one can claim that there is politics involved. We will evaluate the performance of these transferred officers for a year. OICs cannot simply remain idle – they must fulfil their responsibilities. The NPC has inquired about these transfers multiple times, and this has been done with their approval,” Manathunga said.