Certain police officers have raised concerns after learning that efforts are being made to reinstate the services of the interdicted senior officer, Shani Abeysekara.
Abeysekara was interdicted over an alleged telephone conversation he had with Ranjan Ramanyake, who is to be released on a conditional pardon by the President. Ramanayake is in Jail presently after being convicted for contempt of Court by the Supreme Court.
The Police Commission held that the telephone conversation had brought the department into disrepute after the tape was played over social media platforms and found its way into the public domain.
Shani Abeysekera was suspended from service because the audio tapes seized by the Colombo Crime Division from Ranjan Ramanayake’s house contained conversations about investigations conducted by Shani Abeysekera.
A few days after the SLPP government came into power, Shani Abeysekera, who was then the director of the Criminal Investigation Department, was transferred to perform general duties in the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Galle. Later he was held in custody and released. Abeysekara, who is still under interdiction, does not receive any payment. Under normal circumstances, any interdicted officer is entitled to half the salary they drew. But even though two years have lapsed, the police have failed to conduct a formal investigation into the matter. However, a group of officers from the police department are working to resume the investigations related to Shani Abeysekera’s interdiction in the light of Ranjan Ramanayaka’s being released on a conditional pardon. Internal sources pointed out that there is a greater possibility that Shani Abeysekera’s services would be restored following routine investigations.
The sources also say that most of these people are corrupt police officers.
