Deshabandu’s appointment as IGP challenged in Supreme Court

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda   
A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the Inspector General of Police.  
The Anti Corruption Movement affiliated to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) filed this petition further seeking a declaration that newly appointed IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon is unfit to hold public office including any post in the Sri Lanka Police Force.  
Convener of Anti Corruption Movement Niroshan Padukka and Committee Member Ananda Palitha filed this petition naming IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, members of Constitutional Council, the members of National Police Commission and the Attorney General as respondents.  

The petitioners stated that the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as IGP by the President on February 27 is contrary to the rule of law and violating the provisions of the constitution.  
The petitioners stated that at the vote taken for the approval of the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as IGP, four members of the Constitutional Council voted for the appointment and two members voted against and two members abstained from voting. The petitioners stated that Article 41E(4) of the constitution does not provide for abstaining from voting and if in terms of the law, an abstention is considered as a voting against.