A parliamentary committee in Sri Lanka found the suspended police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon guilty of misconduct and serious abuse of power and recommended his removal, Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickremaratna said on Tuesday.
Addressing Parliament, Wickramaratne confirmed that he has received the full report of the Committee of Inquiry, which has recommended the removal of Tennakoon from the post of inspector general of police.
“This Committee, having conducted its inquiries, has unanimously found the officer in question guilty of the allegations brought against him,” Wickremaratna said.
It is the first time the parliament has acted against a police chief.
The committee’s report will be tabled as a parliamentary paper, he said.
To remove the police chief, the parliament has to vote on an impeachment.
Tennakoon is the first head of the department in its 159-year history to face impeachment, according to reports.
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He was suspended in July 2024 by the Supreme Court, which ordered a hearing on the legality of his appointment.
He was appointed the police chief in November 2023 despite being found guilty of torturing a person in custody by the Supreme Court in a fundamental rights petition.
