Kariapper: Question JP before whom IGP in hiding signed affidavit

By Saman Indrajith

SJB MP Nizam Kariapper told Parliament that if the CID genuinely wants to capture IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, who is evading arrest, all they need to do is locate and question the Justice of the Peace before whom Tennakoon signed his affidavit, which was submitted to the Court of Appeal, along with his writ application.

Speaking during the third reading debate of Budget 2025, under the expenditure heads for the Ministries of Science and Technology and Digital Economy, Kariapper said that following the Court’s order for his arrest, Tennakoon had submitted an application to the Court of Appeal, seeking a writ order to prevent his arrest. “This application must be accompanied by an affidavit signed by Tennakoon in front of a JP. All of these documents are with the Court of Appeal. All the CID has to do is find that JP, because he should be aware of Tennakoon’s whereabouts,” Kariapper explained.

Kariapper also demanded to know from the government to what extent it had used technology to ensure national security and public safety. “You cannot capture the IGP who is under an arrest warrant. The masterminds of several crimes are still at large. You cannot retake the presidential palaces, find those responsible for the Central Bank bond scam, or capture the killers of suspects in police custody. The question is whether this digital technology that cannot be used for public safety and national security is needed in other fields?” Kariapper asked.

He then quoted a Sinhala saying, “Yuddeta nethi Kaduwa Kos Kotannada” (Is the sword that is not available in war for chopping jackfruit?). He further remarked that this could be altered to suggest, “Digital technology not used for national security is only good for TikTok.”