Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon who was previously granted bail has been ordered to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court on 25 April.

Deshabandu Tennakoon was granted bail on 10 April by the Matara Magistrate’s Court.
 
He has been ordered to appear before the Matara Magistrate for allegedly acting in violation of court orders while leaving the court premises.
 
Accordingly, Deshabandu Tennakoon and the owner of the car that was used to transport the suspended IGP out of the court complex on 10 April have been summoned before the Matara Magistrate.
 
The order was issued today after court considered a motion filed by the Attorney General in which it is alleged that the suspended IGP had violated court orders, Ada Derana reporter said.
 
Suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon surrendered to court on March 19 and subsequently remanded.
 
However, he was granted bail on April 10 under two sureties of Rs.1 million each, Ada Derana reporter said.
 
After an arrest warrant was issued in connection with a shooting incident near a hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama in December 2023, he surrendered to court by submitting a motion after absconding for nearly 20 days.
 
The Matara Magistrate’s Court previously issued an arrest order for eight police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, naming them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in front of the W15 Hotel in the Pelena area of Weligama, Matara, on December 31, 2023.

Following this, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was instructed to arrest and present the eight individuals, including Deshabandu Tennakoon, before the court.

On March 17, the Court of Appeal dismissed the writ petition filed by Tennakoon, in which he sought an interim injunction to prevent the execution of the arrest order issued by the Matara Magistrate’s Court in connection with the shooting incident.
 
The Court of Appeal subsequently directed the CID to take immediate steps to arrest Tennakoon and present him before court.