The Minister of Public Security informed Parliament today (05) that the committee appointed under the Removal of Officers Act No. 05 of 2002 to investigate Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has unanimously found him guilty of 19 out of the 23 charges listed in the charge sheet.
The charge sheet was officially handed over to Tennakoon by the committee on May 19, 2025.
The Minister explained that the committee did not investigate two of the four charges for which Tennakoon was not found guilty, as those matters are currently under judicial review. As a result, he was found not guilty of only two charges.
Under the Removal of Officers Act No. 05 of 2002, a committee investigating allegations against the Attorney General or the IGP must include a Supreme Court judge appointed by the Chief Justice, the Chairman of the National Police Commission, and a third member appointed with the concurrence of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
In this case, the Chief Justice appointed the most senior Supreme Court judge after the Chief Justice. The Chairman of the National Police Commission is a serving High Court judge, while the Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption was appointed as the third member with the required political approval.
The Minister emphasized the significance of the findings, pointing out that three senior judges unanimously held IGP Tennakoon accountable for 19 instances of misconduct and abuse of power. The verdict was delivered after examining the testimony of 38 witnesses presented by the Attorney General.
