(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (17) reversed the decision taken by the Constitutional Council to remove Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne from his post while both President Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Defense and Minister of Public Security (in charge of Police) Tiran Alles are out of the country.
The President within an hour after Constitutional Council made the decision to remove the IGP, who is on a third extension, reinstated C.D. Wickramaratne as the IGP.
President Ranil Wickramasinghe, who is on an official visit to Beijing, China, has immediately given all the orders from Beijing to make the necessary arrangements for the re-appointment of the Inspector General of Police.
A senior minister of the government had told state-run media that it was a serious mistake for the Constitutional Council to remove the Inspector General of Police from the position when the President as the Minister of Defense and Mr. Tiran Alas as the Minister in charge of Police are not in the island.
The unnamed Minister has further said that there is a strong suspicion that the removal of the Inspector General of Police at this time is the result of a conspiracy in view of the fact that President Ranil Wickramasinghe, who is away from the island at the moment, is expected to return in two days.
The senior minister also said that he will immediately find out if this step was taken to protect any drug trafficker before the President’s return to the island.
He further said that the removal of the Inspector General of Police at a time when the President and the Minister of Public Security in charge of the police are not in the country is equivalent to shutting down the entire police force in this country.
