GotaGoGama attack: Stay order prevents SDIG Deshabandu being named a suspect
April 24, 2023 02:17 pm
The Court of Appeal has issued a stay order preventing the implementation of the letter sent by the Attorney General (AG) to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) asking to name Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon as a suspect in the case pertaining to the attack on the ‘GotaGoGama’ protest site, Ada Derana reporter said.
The court also issued two other interim orders preventing further action on that letter and arresting SDIG Tennakoon.
These orders have been issued by the Appellate Court bench comprising of the President of the Court of Appeal, Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice A. Marikkar while allowing the hearing of a petition filed by SDIG Tennakoon.
Accordingly, the Court of Appeal has also issued notices on the Attorney General, IGP, the DIG In-Charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Officer-In-Charge of the CID, who have been named as respondents of the petition, informing them to testify before the courts on May 10.
Appearing for the petitioner SDIG Tennakoon, President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva stated before the courts that the Attorney General has sent a letter to the CID on April 19, directing to name his client as a suspect in the case related to the attack carried out on “GotaGoGama” protest site at Galle Face Green on May 09, 2022, and the recovery of more than Rs. 17 million in cash within the President’s House on July 09, 2022.
The President’s Counsel, who further pointed out that the authority to decide whether to name a person involved in an incident as a suspect remains with the police, also mentioned that the Attorney General does not have the authority to make such a decision.
