(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan Catholic Church has deplored the appointment of the newly appointed Police Chief in the island nation, saying it was an ‘insult’ to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Spokesperson for the Colombo Archdiocese Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini told a media briefing in the commercial capital of Colombo on Wednesday that the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon has been condemned by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is the head of the Sri Lankan Catholic Church and has remained a vociferous critic of Tennakoon since the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.
“At the same time, we vehemently oppose it. We consider this appointment a disgrace to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks”, Fr. Gamini said.
Fr. Gamini refused to be drawn into comment when asked if the Sri Lankan Catholic Church had any recommendation for the post.
“We have no special name. It is President Ranil Wickremesinghe who has to make the nomination to the Constitutional Council”, he said.
He queried as to whether the police would be able to maintain their own discipline, let alone the discipline of the country, following the appointment of new Acting IGP Tennakoon.
Tennakoon was appointed as the Actg. Police Chief on Tuesday for a period of three months and thereafter he could be either dismissed or confirmed in the position.
Not only the Sri Lankan Catholic Church but several other critics from politicians to others have expressed reservations on Tennakoon’s appointment simply because he is alleged to be packing a questionable record.
It was only the other day that his name was drawn into the public domain after he is alleged to have been hired by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board as a security advisor for a monthly fee and other perks while still in uniform.
Tennakoon has since then refuted the allegations saying that he had turned down the offer but never elaborated.
SLC is also currently embroiled in a massive corruption scandal which eventually saw the sacking of the Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe who dared to expose corruption in the sport’s governing body.
Not only that, Tennakoon is also a close associate of the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles where the Police Department is embedded within his ministry.
Minister Alles on his part also faced a string of criminal charges several years ago that included embezzlement of public funds and other related wrong doings.
He was subsequently freed from all charges but not before serving a stint in remand prison.
