Friday March 24, 2023 3:13 pm
ECONOMYNEXT – President Ranil Wickremesinghe confirmed Friday that he rejected the nomination of controversial Senior Deputy Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon and extended the tenure of incumbent police chief Chandana Wickramaratna who was due to retire on Sunday.
Public Security minister Tiran Alles had lobbied hard to get the top job in the police for his nominee despite Tennakoon facing internal disciplinary action, several court cases and objections from sections of civil society, including the Catholic church.
It is reported that the minister had tried to lobby the church this week but failed to get them to change their stance on Tennakoon who is named as a person guilty of negligence and allowing the Easter Sunday attack to take place.
“The President extended the term of Wickramaratna by six more months,” an official in the president’s office told Economynext.com
The President’s action came despite several SLPP MPs demanding that Wickramaratna should not be given “even one more day as IGP.” The president had given a patient hearing to the MPs, but did not respond to their demand.
The Bar Association in a letter to Wickremesinghe last week urged him not to appoint any officer facing criminal charges or facing fundamental rights allegations, a clear reference to Tennakoon who faces multiple cases and even a court order for his arrest.
President Wickremesinghe was reportedly irked when he saw inspired media reports claiming that he had nominated Tennakoon’s name to the Constitutional Council last week. Some had paid Facebook to boost memes slandering the incumbent IGP.
“The president was aware of the paid campaign,” the source said.
Wickramaratna for his part had told the president in what was a farewell call that he wanted to spend his retirement travelling and site-seeing with his family and did not ask for any service extension.
On Wednesday, the IGP had received a delegation of the IMF to discuss the current situation. (COLOMBO, March 24, 2023)
- https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-president-rejects-tennakoon-extends-incumbent-116390/
ECONOMYNEXT – President Ranil Wickremesinghe confirmed Friday that he rejected the nomination of controversial Senior Deputy Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon and extended the tenure of incumbent police chief Chandana Wickramaratna who was due to retire on Sunday.
Public Security minister Tiran Alles had lobbied hard to get the top job in the police for his nominee despite Tennakoon facing internal disciplinary action, several court cases and objections from sections of civil society, including the Catholic church.
It is reported that the minister had tried to lobby the church this week but failed to get them to change their stance on Tennakoon who is named as a person guilty of negligence and allowing the Easter Sunday attack to take place.
“The President extended the term of Wickramaratna by six more months,” an official in the president’s office told Economynext.com
The President’s action came despite several SLPP MPs demanding that Wickramaratna should not be given “even one more day as IGP.” The president had given a patient hearing to the MPs, but did not respond to their demand.
The Bar Association in a letter to Wickremesinghe last week urged him not to appoint any officer facing criminal charges or facing fundamental rights allegations, a clear reference to Tennakoon who faces multiple cases and even a court order for his arrest.
President Wickremesinghe was reportedly irked when he saw inspired media reports claiming that he had nominated Tennakoon’s name to the Constitutional Council last week. Some had paid Facebook to boost memes slandering the incumbent IGP.
“The president was aware of the paid campaign,” the source said.
Wickramaratna for his part had told the president in what was a farewell call that he wanted to spend his retirement travelling and site-seeing with his family and did not ask for any service extension.
On Wednesday, the IGP had received a delegation of the IMF to discuss the current situation. (COLOMBO, March 24, 2023)
- https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-president-rejects-tennakoon-extends-incumbent-116390/
