World News | Suspended Sri Lankan Police Chief Claims Life Threat from Underworld, Seeks Protection
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Suspended Sri Lankan police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon has requested personal security, claiming threats to his life from underworld criminal groups.
Colombo, May 2 (PTI) Suspended Sri Lankan police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon has requested personal security, claiming threats to his life from underworld criminal groups.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala on Friday said that the request of the suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) is under consideration and that security will be provided based on the outcome of an official threat assessment.
In a letter to acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya, Tennakoon has sought police protection, claiming that his life was under threat from underworld gangs.
In response, the police obtained a court order to question two high-profile inmates in a Southern Province prison over the alleged threats.
Tennakoon was arrested in mid-March in connection with a shooting incident at a resort under his jurisdiction and released on bail in early April. He evaded arrest for nearly three weeks before surrendering.
His legal troubles have mounted since July 2023, when the Supreme Court suspended him from duty and ordered a hearing on the legality of his appointment. In November 2023, despite the court ruling and a prior conviction for torture in a fundamental rights case, he was controversially appointed as IGP.
The government has already initiated proceedings against Tennakoon under the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act of 2002. Parliament has appointed a three-member committee to investigate his conduct and report its findings. If the committee finds grounds for dismissal, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to address the parliament and formally remove Tennakoon from office.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)