Suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon’s legal team today (17 March) presented a copy of a statement issued by the Police Media Division on the eve of the hearing of his writ petition, which sought an interim injunction to prevent his arrest over the 31 December 2023 shooting near the W15 hotel in Weligama.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the petition without a hearing.

Confusion has arisen over why the Police Media Division issued a statement regarding a shooting incident near the W15 hotel in Weligama on 31 December 2023—reiterating old details—just a day before the Court of Appeal’s verdict on suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon’s writ petition.

The Police Media Division’s statement noted that, based on an agreement reached, the Attorney General (AG) had directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) not to arrest the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and five other accused—excluding Tennakoon, who has been absconding for nearly 20 days.

During the proceedings, the court questioned the Attorney General’s Department regarding the Police Media Division’s statement, stating that its contents were misleading.

Senior Deputy Solicitor General (SDSG) Dileepa Peiris, representing the Attorney General’s Department, informed the court that he was unaware of the announcement’s issuance. He further noted that it appeared to have been released the previous evening to influence today’s court order. The court was also informed that Tennakoon’s legal team submitted copies of the statement as part of what was described as a broader attempt to manipulate the legal process.

SDSG Peiris emphasised that the Attorney General is not above the law and cannot declare that arrests will not be made despite court orders.

Following the petition’s dismissal, the Court of Appeal ordered the police to arrest the suspended IGP without delay and to take action against those who assisted him in evading arrest.

Read: Curious case of Police media statement on the eve of Deshabandu’s writ petition verdict