Parliament to vote on Deshabandu’s removal in April

Thursday, 27 March 2025 04:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday said the motion to remove suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Thennakoon from office will be presented to Parliament on 8 or 9 April, with a vote scheduled to follow.

On Tuesday (25), a group of 115 MPs of the National People’s Power (NPP) submitted a motion to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne with signatures of 115 Parliamentarians, listing 27 charges against Thennakoon.

Responding to queries posed at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, he clarified the move is to remove Thennakoon from his position as IGP, and given the allegations, any public official will not be able to work thereafter.

He also noted that the next move is to appoint an investigation committee to examine the allegations against the suspended Thennakoon.

The motion has already been included in the Order Book supplement of Parliament, ensuring it will proceed through the necessary legislative steps.

According to Parliamentary procedure, the motion will first be discussed by the Parliamentary Affairs Committee. After five days, it will move to debate in Parliament, where MPs will have the opportunity to deliberate on the allegations. A vote will then be held, requiring the support of at least 113 MPs for the motion to pass.

If approved, the Speaker of Parliament will appoint an investigation committee to examine the allegations against Thennakoon. The final decision on his removal will depend on the committee’s findings, which will be reported back to Parliament.

Thennakoon is currently in remand custody till 3 April, after surrendering to the Matara Magistrate’s Court on 19 March after evading arrest for over 20 days in connection with a 2023 shooting incident in Weligama.

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