A suspect arrested for aiding and abetting the now-incarcerated IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon was granted bail by the Matara Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The Court released the person on a surety bail of Rs. 1 million.
The arrested suspect, a civilian, is believed to have played a role in helping Tennakoon evade arrest despite multiple arrest warrants over an ongoing investigation into the W15 hotel fatal shooting incident.
The police said that another suspect, a police constable would be produced before the Matara Magistrate’s Court shortly.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had launched a manhunt for Tennakoon after arrest warrants were issued in connection with the fatal shooting of a Colombo Crime Division officer near a hotel in Weligama on December 31, 2023. Despite the Court issuing warrants for his arrest on February 28, Tennakoon avoided capture for nearly 20 days.
He finally surrendered to the Matara Magistrate’s Court on March 19 after his writ petition was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
Following his surrender, Tennakoon was remanded in the Angunakolapelessa Prison under special security arrangements and later transferred to the Dumbara Prison in Pallekele. Meanwhile, Cabinet spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said last week that a proposal to remove Tennakoon from his post as IGP would be presented to Parliament for approval on April 8 or 9.
