Claims of political victimisation in Police Dept. raise eyebrows

By Saman Indrajith

Senior and junior ranks in the Police Department have expressed their dismay at 84 colleagues for attempting to obtain promotions and salary increments citing as reasons political victimisation under the previous government.

A senior police officer said: “The list contains names of 84 officers and men. Among them are six retired officers, including one Senior DIG, who had been interdicted for his alleged involvement in a murder case. There are many who had been interdicted on disciplinary grounds.

They are now trying to get promotions citing political victimization. It is unfair by those who have had exemplary records in conduct and service. This has demoralized many officers and men in the department.”

“Among those on the list is a senior officer punished for dereliction of duty. Under his watch a bottle of water was smuggled into the closed protective circle of the then President Maithripala Sirisena..”

Another officer said that there were two SIDGs, five DIGs, 11 SSPs, four SPs, eight ASPs, 27 CIs, five IPs, five SIs, six sergeants, four constables, one police driver, one WPC and one WSI on the list.

“They went before a committee appointed soon after the incumbent government came to power and said they had been politically victimized. They are trying to get promotions. One month ago they tried to get the list processed and submitted to the Cabinet, but the Public Security Ministry officials suspended it stating that they needed to study it. It is now said that the list is going to be presented to the Cabinet meeting this week.”

A spokesman for the Public Security Ministry said that Minister Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera had got a team of ministry officials to study the list and they had found that there were some officers who had obtained promotions, transfers and salary increments during the Yahapalana government citing political victimisation under the previous administration. “It is a serious issue if the same officer is victimised politically by two different governments. This has been brought to the notice of the President, who has instructed the minister not to submit the list to the Cabinet meeting.”