The Supreme Court, which finished considering the facts of the petitions filed by eight parties, including Reverend Bishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, against the appointment of Deshbandu Tennakoon as the Inspector General of Police, ordered its decision to be handed down on July 24.
It is scheduled to be announced on that day whether the hearing of the petitions will be allowed or not and whether the interim orders requested by the petitioners will be given or not.
When the petition was called today, President’s counsel Saliya Peiris, who appeared for the petitioners, said that there are factors to be considered when making an appointment as a government official, and Deshbandu Tennakoon was appointed as the Inspector General of Police ignoring all of them.
President’s Counsel Peiris further said that Tennakoon, who is facing criminal charges, is a person who has been ruled by the Supreme Court as a respondent who has violated the fundamental rights of a person
He further pointed out before the court that he is a person who is unfit to hold the office of Inspector General of Police.
The petitioners claim in their petitions that the Constituent Assembly has not formally approved the nomination of Deshbandu Tennakoon, who was recommended by the President for the appointment as the Inspector General of Police.
The petitioners insisted in the court that the decision taken by the President to appoint him for that position in such a situation is completely against the law.
Therefore, the petitioners sought an order quashing the relevant appointment. Members of the Constituent Assembly, Attorney General Deshbandu Tennakoon and others were named as respondents in these petitions.
