Former top cop misuses Presidential Secretariat letter-head

A former top cop who is now a security consultant to a hotel chain owned by a controversial businessman added a plum assignment to his post only a year or so ago. That was to become “Advisor to HE the President on Defence Affairs.”

Just two weeks ago, the man wrote to the Senior Superintendent of Police under whose purview comes the Tourist Police.

It was to complain about the “behaviour of fishermen, beach boys, etc” who he says “tarnish the good name of Sri Lanka and it is a huge drawback to the national economy.”

Interesting enough, the complaint relates to a southern resort which belongs to the hotel chain. And what makes it worse is that the letter is written on an official letter- head of the Presidential Secretariat.

Attached to that letter, the former cop encloses a report which the General Manager and Deputy Chairman of his company had forwarded to him. He points out “I am bringing this to your notice in my capacity as Advisor to HE the President on Defence Affairs,” he points out.

He wants the Tourist Police to assemble a special team to deal with “three- wheeler, beach boys and fishermen harassing the tourists on the beach.” A Police Headquarters official said there were the so called ‘beach boys’ who were engaging in fruit or other trades whilst three-wheeler scooters provided easy transport to tourists. “Whenever there were law violations, we have taken action. We cannot prevent them assembling outside a hotel premises under different pretexts,” he added.

One job within another has helped the former top cop but Police circles are asking whether it was correct to use a Presidential Secretariat letter- head to keep things moving for a private company. Who cares when the boss has his investments among all politicians?