Testimonies before the Parliamentary Committee probing allegations against suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon concluded yesterday (1 July).
Expressing gratitude to all who participated in the inquiry, Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris stated that the matter was not one of “victory or defeat,” but rather one where justice must be served through the law.
However, Tennakoon’s legal counsel, Sanjeewa Weerawikrama, voiced deep mistrust in the fairness of the process. He said he never believed the committee would deliver justice to his client and alleged that some documents were withheld from them. He also accused the proceedings of targeting Tennakoon personally, describing it as a form of media-driven character assassination.
Weerawikrama further noted that although his client had initially considered boycotting the inquiry due to the personal nature of the attacks, he ultimately chose to appear before the committee, fully aware of the consequences.
In a firm response, Committee Chairperson, Supreme Court Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, rejected claims of document suppression, stressing that all documents had been duly submitted and urging against making false claims at the final stage of the proceedings.
At yesterday’s session, former Police Media Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Buddika Madathunga and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Y.S. Keerthisinghe of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) gave testimony.
SSP Madathunga was questioned about public statements he made regarding Tennakoon. Additional Solicitor General Peiris asked him whether he knew Tennakoon was missing and why there had been a delay in addressing the matter. In response, Madathunga said he learned of Tennakoon’s disappearance two days later but had faced continuous media queries on the issue.
He insisted that his media briefing was not driven by any personal motive but was based on official departmental requirements. Madathunga stated that he had consistently monitored developments related to the case and repeatedly asked the Acting IGP for clarity. He said he was told to seek public support on the matter.
Madathunga defended his remarks at the 6 March press conference, saying they were made to protect the reputation of the police, and that if Tennakoon was indeed in hiding, it could constitute a punishable offence under the Penal Code.
Despite a request by Additional Solicitor General Peiris for the committee to rewatch footage from the 6 March press conference, Tennakoon’s counsel objected. The committee ultimately decided unanimously not to rewatch or present the video recording.
Madathunga also addressed claims that Tennakoon had personally helped him in the past. He said he had no need to raise such matters in public and that his statements were made solely in his official capacity as Police Media Spokesperson.
ASP Y.S. Keerthisinghe was questioned extensively regarding the CID’s failure to apprehend Tennakoon despite a court order issued in connection with the W15 Hotel shooting incident.
He explained that CID teams had searched for Tennakoon in over 20 locations, including Nugegoda, Hokandara, Gampola, Nittambuwa, Giriulla, and Bopitiya. The officers had also obtained a statement from Tennakoon’s sister, who ran a hardware store, while their family home had been found locked.
He added that CID officers had carried out overnight surveillance and searches, but Tennakoon was not at home during that time. Keerthisinghe stressed that their actions were based on intelligence available at the time, and there had been no reason to act beyond that.
However, during cross-examination, Weerawikrama challenged the credibility of the statement regarding Tennakoon’s sister. He said no other official or witness had confirmed such a statement and accused Keerthisinghe of lying.
Responding, Keerthisinghe said: “Your Honour, we searched the location based on intelligence received by our officers. I’m relaying what they reported to me—that Tennakoon did not return home after being suspended. We also received phone analysis reports, which guided our search efforts.”
