Police search Sagala Ratnayaka’s residence amid hunt for IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon

Sri Lanka Police searched the residence of former Chief of Staff to the President, Sagala Ratnayaka, in Matara, Morawaka, on the afternoon of March 11, 2025, in an attempt to locate Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon.

The search was carried out based on information received by the Matara Division Crimes Investigation Bureau.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal has scheduled the order on the petition filed by Deshabandu Tennakoon for March 17, 2025. Tennakoon had sought an interim injunction to suspend the arrest order issued against him.

The petition was reconsidered in the presence of a Court of Appeal bench comprising Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Laffar Tahir, and Justice Sarath Disanayake.

President’s Counsel Dr. Romesh de Silva, appearing on behalf of Deshabandu Tennakoon, argued that issuing an arrest order against his client, who is still serving as the Inspector General of Police, was illegal.

He pointed out that the order was based solely on a report submitted by the Weligama Police without a statement or record from the petitioner. He insisted that a magistrate could not issue such an order without first notifying the petitioner.

During the hearing, Justice Mohammed Laffar questioned the President’s Counsel about the circumstances of the petition, asking whether he had met with the petitioner and whether the affidavit was signed in Colombo or Matara.

The President’s Counsel refrained from answering these questions directly.

Justice Laffar further asked why the petitioner could not appear before the court to make a statement. In response, Dr. Romesh de Silva stated that his client was willing to appear but feared arrest and remand.

He requested a guarantee that Tennakoon would not be arrested, emphasizing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation under such assurance.

However, Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, representing the Attorney General, firmly rejected this request. He informed the court that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had already visited Tennakoon’s residence in Gangani Mawatha, Hokandara, on February 27, 2025.

At the time, neither Tennakoon nor his family members were present, though the house remained under the protection of the Special Task Force and VIP security officers. Peiris asserted that the arrest would proceed based on a court order and was not a decision made solely by the police.

Following these arguments, the Court of Appeal bench announced that the final order on Tennakoon’s petition will be delivered on March 17, 2025.

---

---