Colombo Archbishop’s objection: New IGP post
Colombo Archbishop’s objection: New IGP post
Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, in a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, informed strictly him not to appoint either Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nilatha Jayawardene or Deshabandu Tennekoon as the new Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Sri Lanka. But, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Asgiriya Buddhist chapter have raised objections to the ‘interference’ by the Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith. Mentioned it is “totally inappropriate”.
President Wickremesinghe is reportedly scheduled to refer nominations of four senior police officials including Tennakoon and Jayawardena, one of whom was appointed as the IGP, to the CC on the 04th of July.
“It has been highlighted by several media reports that SDIGs Tennakoon and Jayawardena are amongst the top suggested nominees to be appointed as the IGP. In these circumstances, I, being the Archbishop of Colombo, wish to officially address my very grave and serious concerns that have arisen with regard to the matter,” stated Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith in his letter to President Wickremesinghe.
“I make this appeal to you on behalf of the Catholic Faithful and in the public interest of the entire citizenry in this Nation, to completely disregard and not even consider the said SDIG – Administration Nilantha Jayawardena and the SDIG – Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon as nominees for the said post.” mentioned at the end in his detailed letter to the President by the Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith.
The appointment for the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Sri Lanka is to be made soon. In his letter, the Archbishop has informed President Wickremasinghe with very strong facts as to why he requests that the currently serving Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena or Deshabandu Tennakoon not be appointed for that important position in the Police.
In the explanatory letter, sent to the media from the Archbishop, addressing President said, “The final report of the Commission of Inquiry to Investigate into the bomb attacks on Easter Sunday has clearly set out that Senior DIG Tennekoon had merely conducted himself as a messenger and had failed to discharge his duties in the given circumstances, considering the relevant information that had been received by him with regard to the threat of the attacks. Upon receiving crucial information of the threat of imminent attacks, it has been reported that he had not taken any extra steps and had failed to call for any reports pertaining to such information from junior officers. The commission had already recommended action against him.”
“Moreover SDIG Tennekoon has been the officer who had spearheaded the police investigations into the incident where a hand grenade was discovered at All Saints Church on January 11, 2022. With this instance, police had proceeded to arbitrarily and baselessly arrest workers of the church even prior to viewing the CCTV footage,” Archbishop had explained.
“The report of the Presidential Commission has said it is SDIG Nilantha Jayawardene who is most responsible for the inaction that resulted in the Easter Sunday bomb attacks,” also said Archbishop.
“Therefore, taking all of the aforesaid into consideration, it is my firm and well-considered view that the said SDIG – Administration Nilantha Jayawardena and the said SDIG – Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon are both officers who have been found to have failed to discharge their duties concerning the occurrence of the Easter Sunday attacks and thereby clearly lack the hallmarks, level of competence and professionalism to even be considered to be nominated to the highest post of the Inspector General of Police in this Country.” noted by Archbishop his displeasure.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Constitutional Council (CC), the Speaker of the Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana expressed his views on Cardinal Ranjith’s letter to President, said that it is “totally inappropriate” for the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith to send a letter to the CC regarding the appointment of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Also, the Asgiriya Buddhist chapter has raised objections to the ‘interference’ by a religious leader in the appointment of the next police chief, said commenting on the Archbishop’s letter.
“The president should have the freedom to decide on the appointment”, the deputy registrar of the chapter Ven. Narampanawe Ananda Thero said, noting that uncalled-for interference has denied an IGP for the first time.
Ven. Ananda Thero conceded that there were instances that called for advice to the president by religious leaders, but insisted the appointment of the IGP was not one of them.
But, ordinary people are also commenting on the news pieces of the President’s trying to nominate these two police officers for the post of IGP, they said that they were the two Police officers who waited for 269 people to die at the Easter attack and can think that if they will become the IGP, what will happen to us the ordinary people.
“Who can predict that they will perform the duties of that position properly?” they ask.
Chandana D. Wickramaratne was appointed as the acting IGP, in April 2019, and was confirmed in the position on 25 November 2020. He was scheduled to retire in March 2023, and was granted a three-month service extension by the President, which ended on 26 June.
END.
