Sri Lanka’s Parliament has dismissed the country’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deshbandu Tennakoon, on charges of misconduct and abuse of power. This marks the first time in the country’s history that a police chief has been removed by Parliament.

In Tuesday’s vote, no lawmakers opposed his dismissal, while one MP was absent. A special committee appointed by Parliament had investigated Tennakoon and, in a report released last month, confirmed 19 counts of misconduct and abuse of office.

The main allegation against him relates to a failed police operation in Weligama in 2023, in which he deployed an armed team that ended up in a shootout with another police unit, resulting in the death of one officer.

The committee’s report stated that Tennakoon had ordered the team to open fire with the intent of intimidating the owner of a hotel in Weligama. A state prosecutor told the committee that Tennakoon, as the leader of 85,000 police personnel, had been “running a criminal network” and was unfit for police service.

Tennakoon has not commented since the impeachment process began last month. He was appointed police chief in 2023 by then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe, a move that was opposed at the time by opposition lawmakers and human rights activists. At 54, Tennakoon has become the first police chief in Sri Lanka’s history to be removed through impeachment.