In a formal letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Lawyers’ Collective has called for the immediate termination of the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) in light of a recent Supreme Court judgment.
The collective emphasizes the urgency of referring the judgment to the Attorney General for prompt consideration of charging police officers with serious criminal offenses, particularly torture. They stress the importance of this action in light of imminent prosecutions and the necessity to preserve evidence. Additionally, the Lawyers’ Collective urges the President to forward the judgment to the National Police Commission for appropriate action.
The letter highlights the unanimous decision of a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which found that respondents, including Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, violated the petitioner’s fundamental rights to freedom from torture, unlawful arrest, and arbitrary administrative action denying equal protection of the law.
Notably, the document points out that Tennakoon, during his tenure as SP for Nugegoda, actively participated in acts of torture and illegal arrest, failing in his duty to prevent gross acts of torture by subordinate officers.
The Lawyers’ Collective insists that all police officers found responsible must be formally charged with the serious crime of torture and immediately suspended from service. The absence of swift action against Tennakoon is deemed particularly concerning, given his influential position over evidence and witnesses in the anticipated criminal prosecution against him.
The collective warns that the failure to act promptly sends a distressing message to the public, implying a reluctance by the President to implement a judgment of the highest court, which they argue is a matter of national importance.
The letter also reminds President Wickremesinghe that he personally appointed Tennakoon, endorsed by the Constitutional Council, despite public controversy surrounding his suitability for the high post. The Lawyers’ Collective concludes the letter on behalf of the undersigned group, including Upul Jayasuriya, President’s Counsel; Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, President’s Counsel; Professor Savitri Goonesekere, Attorney-at-Law; Geoffrey Alagaratnam, President’s Counsel; Dinal Phillips, President’s Counsel; and Saliya Pieris, President’s Counsel.
