Lanka police reverse decision to remove top detective

Sri Lankan police on Tuesday reversed its decision to remove a top detective investigating alleged crimes by the family and associates of disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa following pressure from the civil society.

Removing detective Nishantha Silva was seen as a latest move in the ongoing political crisis as President Maithripala Sirisena forged a new alliance with Rajapaksa.

The country plunged into a crisis on October 26 when President Sirisena controversially sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former strongman Rajapaksa.

Officials said the transfer of inspector Silva, who handled many cases of murder and abduction of journalists and serious crimes committed under the Rajapaksa regime was cancelled by the police chief following inquiries by the police commission.

The cases handled by Silva included the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, the editor of the Sunday Leader who was a critic of the Rajapaksa regime.

Silva was also the main investigator in the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, another high-profile case during the Rajapaksa administration.

Reports said that Sirisena asked the police chief to transfer Silva out of the crime investigation department.

However, the independent police commission on public complaints asked the police chief to cancel the transfer.

Commenting on the police commission's intervention, Wickremesinghe said that the cancelation of Silva's transfer "symbolised the functioning of strong democratic institutions against arbitrary and tyrannical moves of the executive."