Complaints against police now at Provincial Directors' Offices

Shirley WIJESINGHE

COLOMBO: The public could now lodge their complaints against any police officer or the police service in general at the Provincial Directors' offices affiliated to the National Police Commission(NPC) spread throughout 17 districts in the country, NPC Chairman Neville Piyadigama said.

Addressing the press, Chairman Piyadigama said that NPC has established these provincial offices in terms of the powers vested in it under Article 115G(2) of the Constitution to ensure efficient and effective recording and investigations into public complaints.

Accordingly any aggrieved party could make his/her complaint in writing,in person, or by mail to these offices for redress, Chairman Piyadigama said.

"An aggrieved person, a social organisation, public organisation or Non- Governmental Organisation or any Attorney-at Law can lodge complaints to the Director, Deputy Director or a Provincial Director of the Public Complaints Investigation," Division(PCID) of the NPC, Chairman explained.

Chairman Piyadigama said in terms of the Gazette Extraordinary the complaints will be categorised according to three segments in schedule one . Responding to a question , Piyadigama said the NPC has called for applications for the posts of Assistant Superintendents of Police from graduates to fill vacancies after seven years.

NPC Appeals Panel Board Chairman T.P.G.N Leelaratne said that the police officers whose services had been terminated over various issues should submit their appeals before the lapse of six months since such terminations.

"No appeals will be accepted after six months of their service termination", he added.

NPC Secretary P. Logeshwaran, PCID Director J.A.Paranamanna also addressed the media.