No political reasons behind recent OIC transfers, but inefficiency

Sri Lanka Police state that none of the recent Officer-in-Charge (OIC) transfers took place due to political reasons.

Responding to an inquiry by Ada Derana, Police Media Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manathunga explained that these transfers were carried out in a context where Police OICs had not been reassigned for a long time.

He further stated that the lack of performance by some officers was also a reason for the transfers.

“This has been an ongoing process. There have been no transfers for nearly three years. There is no political influence in this. Some officers have been reassigned to general duties, while others have been given good positions. No one can claim that there is politics involved. We will evaluate the performance of these transferred officers for a year. OICs cannot simply remain idle—they must fulfill their responsibilities. The National Police Commission has inquired about these transfers multiple times, and this has been done with their approval,” SSP Manatunga said.

The largest group of police officers in recent history was transferred at once last night (11), totaling 139 officers.

The reshuffle includes 105 Chief Inspectors of Police (CIs) and 34 Inspectors of Police (IPs), with the transfers set to take effect in two phases—on February 13 and 18.

Among those transferred, 51 officers who previously served as Police OICs have been reassigned to general service. 

Additionally, an officer who served as a Headquarters Police Inspector has also been deployed to general duties.