Ex-IGP Tennakoon’s request to postpone verdict on his own writ against arrest raises eyebrows

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March 17, Colombo (LNW): A decision on the writ petition filed by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon, seeking to prevent his arrest, is set to be announced today (17).

However, in a surprising development, Tennakoon’s legal team has filed a motion requesting that the court delay the ruling.

This request for a postponement has raised questions and suspicions, as it contrasts with the urgent nature of the petition originally filed by Tennakoon, in which he had requested a swift resolution.

The Attorney General’s Department has opposed this motion, with reports indicating that Dileepa Peiris, representing the Attorney General, will ask the court to proceed with issuing its decision today.

The reason for Tennakoon’s request for postponement remains unclear, though sources suggest that it may be part of a strategy to sway public opinion by delaying proceedings.

Additionally, it is believed that Tennakoon’s legal team wishes to resolve discrepancies that have arisen during the filing of the case and to present further evidence.

Meanwhile, the Police Media Division issued a statement yesterday (16), asserting that six other individuals connected to the case have also filed writ petitions, seeking to block their arrests.

The Attorney General has instructed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) not to arrest these six suspects until the preliminary investigations are concluded. Their writ petitions will be taken up by the Court of Appeal on March 21.

The case revolves around an alleged conspiracy to commit murder in a shooting incident that occurred on December 31, 2023, outside a hotel in the Weligama area.

Following this incident, the Matara Magistrate’s Court issued an arrest order on February 28, 2024, for eight suspects, including former IGP Tennakoon, the Officer-in-Charge of the Colombo Crimes Division, Anslam de Silva, and the Acting Officer-in-Charge of the Weligama Police Station, Upul Kumara.

In response to this, Tennakoon filed his writ petition before the Court of Appeal on March 10, seeking to prevent his arrest. Despite almost three weeks passing since the arrest warrant was issued, Tennakoon’s whereabouts remain unknown, prompting six police teams to launch a search for him.

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