-By A Special Corrrespondent
(Lanka-e-News -20.March.2025, 10.20 PM) If Sri Lanka had an annual "Best Disappearing Act" award, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon would surely be the front-runner. After nearly 20 days of playing an elite game of hide-and-seek with law enforcement, he finally decided that surrendering was probably a better option than continuing his disappearing tour.
But surrendering was just the beginning of his troubles. The Matara Magistrate’s Court has now extended his remand until April 3, proving once again that in Sri Lanka, even former top cops can’t escape the long arm of the law—at least, not forever.
It all started with a New Year’s Eve shooting incident near W15 Hotel in Weligama. Instead of fireworks lighting up the sky, gunshots rang out, and guess who ended up as a key suspect? That’s right—none other than Deshabandu Tennakoon and a few of his police buddies.
Following the incident, the Matara Magistrate’s Court issued arrest orders for eight officers, including Tennakoon. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was given the green light to track them down, but our former IGP suddenly seemed to possess the skills of a world-class magician—he vanished into thin air.
The CID scoured every possible location, but Tennakoon was nowhere to be found. One can only imagine him peeking out from behind curtains, disguised as a coconut seller, or perhaps hiding inside an oversized rice sack at the local pola. Whatever his strategy was, it worked—for nearly three weeks.
Unfortunately, the escape plan hit a roadblock when the Court of Appeal rejected his last-ditch legal attempt to avoid arrest. Realizing the game was up, Tennakoon walked into court like a schoolboy reluctantly returning to class after skipping lessons for a month. The result? Straight to Angunakolapelessa Prison under "special security"—a phrase that sounds less like a VIP treatment and more like a forced reality check.
If you thought the story ended with his arrest, think again! In a plot twist worthy of a blockbuster crime thriller, authorities raided Tennakoon’s residence and found enough foreign liquor to open a duty-free shop.
While the official numbers haven't been disclosed, let’s just say that the seized liquor collection could have stocked an entire wedding season. Perhaps the former IGP was preparing for an early retirement party? Unfortunately, his new accommodations at Angunakolapelessa Prison don’t allow BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze).
And that’s not all—investigators uncovered 18 properties linked to him, all purchased under various other names. A man with so many alternative real estate investments should have at least rented a safer hideout while dodging the authorities.
With the next court date set for April 3, Tennakoon has some time to reflect on his choices—from playing hide-and-seek to running an unregistered liquor empire. If found guilty, he might end up extending his stay at Angunakolapelessa longer than he’d prefer.
Until then, Sri Lankans will be watching this case closely, popcorn in hand, wondering: What’s the next twist in the Deshabandu Tennakoon saga? Will he claim he was just holding the liquor for a friend? Will more hidden assets emerge? One thing’s for sure—this former IGP’s real-life crime drama is far from over!
-By A Special Corrrespondent
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by (2025-03-20 16:54:48)
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