Police Commission ‘villain’ blocking transfers, crime prevention

Police top brass are complaining that their stepped up crime prevention efforts are being stymied by some officials at the Police Commission.

Transfers of ineffective Police officers over whom Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera had issued orders were being stalled by a top official.

A senior Police source said the official, who played a key role in the Defence Ministry during the previous administration and figured in investigations into high profile cases, has found an important slot in the Commission.

Officers to whom transfer orders are issued, the source alleged, had been conveyed to those concerned. Thereafter, these officers send in appeals to stay the transfer. That position is then conveyed to Police Headquarters, the source said.

According to the source, Police Chief Jayasundera is to now send in a dossier to President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Law and Order Minister Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara, stating the string of instances where the controversial offi- cial has interfered.

The dossier, now under preparation, includes material about the political involve- ment of the official when he was in his previous post, the Police source added.

“If someone is stalling efforts at fighting crime including a rise in murder cases, it is eventually a bad reflection on the Government. We want to ensure that the blame is not placed on the Police Department,” said the source.