The Matara Magistrate’s Court has ordered the further remand of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon until April 3 in connection with a 2023 shooting incident in Weligama.
Tennakoon, who had been evading arrest for nearly 20 days, surrendered to the court on March 19 by filing a motion. Following his surrender, he was initially remanded until March 20 and later transferred to Angunakolapelessa Prison under special security.
The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously issued arrest warrants for eight police officers, including Tennakoon and former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), for their alleged involvement in the December 31, 2023 shooting near the W15 Hotel in Weligama.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was instructed to arrest and produce the suspects before the court. However, Tennakoon remained elusive until his recent surrender.
On March 17, the Court of Appeal dismissed Tennakoon’s writ petition, which sought to prevent his arrest. The court also directed the CID to take immediate steps to apprehend him.
Meanwhile, an agreement was reached between the Attorney General (AG) and the legal counsel of the other suspects. As a result, the CID was instructed not to arrest the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the CCD and five other accused individuals, excluding Tennakoon.
