Matara, March 19 – Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has been remanded until tomorrow (March 20) after surrendering to the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning.
Tennakoon had evaded arrest for nearly 20 days before appearing in court. The Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously ordered the arrest of eight police officers, including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and Tennakoon, in connection with the shooting incident near the W15 Hotel in Weligama on December 31, 2023.
Following the court’s directive, the CID was tasked with arresting and presenting the suspects in court. However, Tennakoon remained untraceable for several days.
On March 17, the Court of Appeal dismissed Tennakoon’s writ petition seeking to block the execution of his arrest order. The court then instructed the CID to proceed with his immediate arrest. Meanwhile, his legal team submitted a motion yesterday requesting permission to submit additional documents related to the case.
It was also reported that an agreement was reached between the Attorney General (AG) and the legal counsel of the suspects. The AG issued a special notice on March 16, directing the CID not to arrest six other accused individuals, excluding Tennakoon, who remained wanted.
Following Tennakoon’s surrender, the case regarding the 2023 shooting near the W15 Hotel was taken up in court this afternoon.
