Courtesy The Island

The head of the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) Ravi Waidyalankara will leave the police department on Monday ending a controversy over the leadership of the premier white-collar crime busting arm of the police, official sources said.

Waidyalankara will on Monday reach the age of 60, the mandatory retirement age,  the sources said adding that Central Range  DIG Mahinda Ekanayake was tipped to be the acting head of the FCID.

Senior Deputy Inspector-General Waidyalankara submitted his retirement papers last month, but there were moves to grant him an extension despite legal obstacles.

Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara  wrote to the Police Commission last month recommending that Waidyalankara’s retirement be accepted as there was no provision to grant him an extension. The senior DIG was under investigation by the Special Investigation Unit and the Bribery Commission (CIABOC).

However, there was speculation yesterday that the authorities may still attempt to bring back Waidyalankara on a contract basis in a few weeks’ time.