Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who was the next most senior officer in the Sri Lanka Police after the Inspector General of Police, has been appointed to cover the work of the Police Administration Division, which is the highest rank in the police after the Inspector General of Police.
The appointment was made by the IGP yesterday..
The appointment is a stop-gap measure taken by the Inspector General of Police until a permanent officer is appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Senior DIG Nandana Munasinghe from the police service on the 21st.
The Inspector General of Police has now submitted his recommendations to the National Police Commission through the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security to appoint Nilantha Jayawardena, the most senior officer of the police, to that vacancy.
Former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Nandana Munasinghe, making a special statement on the occasion of his retirement at the police headquarters last Friday, said that this position should be held by the most senior officer in the police after the Inspector General of Police and that it is not appropriate to grab it by using undue influence.
Addressing the assembly, the Inspector General of Police said that he was retiring in three months. The Inspector General of Police, who said that he was not expecting to make a speech on his retirement day, said that he would instead make the speech today. The IGP made a critical revelation regarding the shameless feud between several senior officers for the position of Inspector General of Police. The Inspector General of Police said that the post of Inspector General of Police is not something that can be usurped.
Police sources revealed that the IGP said that he has named Nilantha Jayawardena as the next head of the police administration division.
Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena joined the police service as an apprentice assistant superintendent of police on February 23, 1998. Senior DIG Lalith S. Pathinayake, who is currently serving as the North West Provincial Police Chief, and Senior DIG Deshbandu Tennakoon, who is serving as the Chief of Police in charge of Western Province, are the officers who joined the police service on the same day along with Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena.
Among these officers, Nilantha Jayawardena was promoted first to the position of Senior DIG on February 28, 2019, and Lalith S. Patinayake has been promoted to the post of Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police on November 20, 2019.
Deshbandu Tennakon was promoted to the post of senior deputy inspector general of police on January 1, 2020.
Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena will retire in 2033, Senior DIG Lalith S. Patinayake is likely to retire in 2032, and Senior DIG Deshbandu Tennakoon will retire at the age of 60 in 2031.
