Court Orders Action on Deshabandu's Accomplices in Evading Arrest!

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Court of Appeal on Monday (17) rejected the writ petition filed by suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon. 

The petition was dismissed without examination by a bench led by Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Laffar Tahir.

The Court of Appeal's decision upholds the Matara Magistrate Court's order for Tennakoon's arrest and presentation before the court.

Additionally, the court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take legal action against those who assisted Tennakoon in evading arrest.

On March 12, during the petition hearing, President's Counsel Dr. Romesh de Silva, representing Tennakoon, directed by Attorney-at-Law Sanath Wijewardena, argued that the Matara Magistrate Court's order for Tennakoon's arrest in connection with a shooting incident at a hotel in Weligama in 2023 was unlawful.

Dr. de Silva stated that the order was issued following the death of a police officer in the incident and the recording of several pieces of evidence. 

He contended that the magistrate lacked the authority to issue such an order under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and requested the court to nullify it.

Furthermore, Dr. de Silva sought a short-term interim injunction to suspend the arrest order. 

The shooting incident occurred on December 31, 2023, in front of the W-15 Hotel in Weligama, resulting in the death of a police officer attached to the Colombo Crime Division.

The petitioner highlighted that the Weligama Police initially conducted the investigation, which was later taken over to the CID. 

He alleged that the investigation was influenced by political pressures from Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne and former CID Director Shani Abeysekara.

Tennakoon's petition claimed that the investigation was biased and politically motivated, targeting him unfairly. 

He also noted that the arrest order was issued without recording his statement and that he learned through the media that his foreign travel had been banned as of the first of the month.

Given this context, Tennakoon requested the Court of Appeal to issue a writ order nullifying the Matara Magistrate Court's arrest order and to grant an interim injunction to suspend the order until a final decision is made on the petition.

The petitioner also sought an interim injunction to halt the ongoing investigation related to the incident. 

The respondents named in the petition include Matara Magistrate Aruna Buddhadasa, Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne, former CID Director Shani Abeysekara, and current CID Director P. Ampavila.