A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition that was filed seeking an order to instruct the President to appoint an Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), was rejected by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka today.
The Supreme Court further ordered the petitioner to pay Rs. 50,000 in court fees.
The Attorney General’s representative had also informed the court that the petition contained false information and breached Article 92 of the Constitution
The petition was filed challenging President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s eligibility to run in the presidential election, based on claims of failure to appoint an Acting IGP and judges to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The FR petition was filed at the court by Attorney-at-Law R. S. P. Ranasooriya, naming President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Attorney General as respondents.
Filing the FR Petition, the petitioner said that the interim order issued by the Supreme Court in July restraining Deshabandu Tennakoon from exercising the powers, functions, and responsibilities of the office of IGP, does not prevent the President from appointing an Acting IGP.
He further pointed out that the President who claimed he could not make any appointments due to contesting the upcoming election has appointed Foreign Minister Ali Sabry as the Justice Minister.
The petitioner alleged that the President was violating the Constitution and was misusing the powers vested in him.
Stating that the non-appointment of an Acting IGP was putting the security of the public at risk, the petitioner claimed the President who had violated the Constitution was not suitable to contest the Presidential election. (Newswire)