Nilantha’s IGP dream kaput ?

Grand plans of making former Chief of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawa-rdena would not succeed following the Supreme Court judgment on the Fundamental Rights petition filed in relation to the Easter Sunday attack, police headquarters sources said.

Sources said that SDIG Jayawardena would face a disciplinary inquiry conducted by the Police and the results of that investigation would be foreshadowed by the report of the findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Easter Sunday carnage.

In the judgment delivered, the court ordered Jayawardena to pay Rs. 75 million from his personal funds to victims of the attack as compensation while the court also instructed the government to initiate disciplinary action against Jayawardena for his failure and lapses in preventing the attack.

A senior police officer said the court order would now require the Police to subject Jayawardena to an inquiry where wrongs committed by him in carrying out his duty will be identified under the Police’s Departmental Orders. Depending on the charges, Jayawardena who was recently appointed as the Senior DIG in charge of administration may even be interdicted.

Jayawardena is currently the second most senior officer of the Sri Lanka Police after the current IGP CD Wickremeratne. Accordingly, Jayawardena is slated to become the next head of the Police on Wickremaratne’s retirement. However, the outcome of the inquiry and the Supreme Court judgment may now put Jayawardena out of running for the top post.

The Catholic Church last week protested against an alleged government move to promote Jayawardena, faulted by a special presidential commission of inquiry for his failure to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage, in 2019, to the post of IGP.

The Cardinal’s Spokesman Rev Cyril Gamini said that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, which probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks, had, in its report, identified Jayawardena as one of the persons who had failed to prevent the terrorist attacks. He had received warnings from local and foreign sources. But he shirked his duties. He also erased all data from the computers. The CoI further recommended action against Jayawardena under the provisions of the Penal Code. The government failed to hold a disciplinary inquiry and, instead, appointed him as the Kandy Senior DIG.