Sri Lankan Parliament Ousts Police Chief for Misconduct

Sri Lanka's Parliament has unanimously approved a resolution to dismiss police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon for misconduct. Tennakoon faced charges for his involvement in a shooting incident and was previously found guilty of torture. A committee will investigate further, and final removal awaits a presidential address.

In a decisive move, Sri Lanka's Parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to dismiss the police chief, Deshabandu Tennakoon, over allegations of misconduct and abuse of power. This action followed his involvement in a shooting incident and prior conviction for torture.

During the vote, 151 out of 225 parliamentarians expressed support for the resolution, which also included a handful of opposition members. However, a significant portion of the opposition was notably absent from the parliament at the time of the vote.

Following this, a committee of three, including a Supreme Court judge, will investigate the allegations. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will deliver an address to Parliament on the committee's findings before finalizing Tennakoon's dismissal. This marks a historic application of the Removal of Officers Act since its inception in 2002.

(With inputs from agencies.)