COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s ruling party said on Tuesday it would sack the island nation’s police chief, who is in custody awaiting trial over a botched drug raid that resulted in an officer’s death.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s ruling coalition submitted a resolution to that effect in parliament, beginning a lengthy legal process to dismiss Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon. “We hope the speaker will act promptly on the resolution,” lawmaker and deputy labour minister Mahinda Jayasinghe told reporters outside the legislature.

“We want him removed on four counts — corruption, misconduct, abuse of power, and gross partiality in office.” Dissanayake is required to address parliament before appointing a three-member panel to investigate the allegations.

If Tennakoon is found guilty, an absolute majority of lawmakers must endorse his removal. Dissanayake’s leftist National People Power (NPP) coalition has the numbers to comfortably remove Tennakoon after a landslide election victory last year.

The police chief turned himself in to authorities last week after more than a fortnight on the run from an arrest warrant. He stands accused of authorising an ill-fated drug bust in 2023, allegedly in violation of internal regulations.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025