{"id":122080,"date":"2022-01-12T16:36:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T23:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=122080"},"modified":"2022-01-12T16:36:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T23:36:56","slug":"retired-digs-anguish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2022\/01\/12\/retired-digs-anguish\/","title":{"rendered":"Retired DIG’s Anguish"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Retired<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The writer and his partner were invited on 1 January 2022 by Ceylon\noldest living Olympian boxer, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police,\nSumith Liyanage, with some guests. Our conversation at the lunch table\ndiscussed details of Sumith’s career in Sri Lanka’s Police force. During the\n1960 Olympics in Rome, Sumith Liyanage fought in the same ring where young\nCassius Clay as an amateur fought earlier in the light heavyweight category. It\nwas at the Palazzo Dello\nSports arena, and he fought against Poland’s Jerzy Adamski. Sumith Liyanage was\nan old Anandian and Nalandian. He showed his liveliness in cricket when he\nplayed for Ananda and Nalanda. He was an opening fiery right-hand bowler, but\nhis forte was boxing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olympics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During New Year\u2019s lunch when the topic of Boxing came up, the writer\nasked Sumith Liyanage whether he ever confronted Cassius Clay in the ring\nduring the Olympics. He answered  back with a smile “Had\nI ever fought Cassius Clay, then the legendary boxer would have remained\nCassius Clay and I would have ended up as clay!<\/em><\/strong> ”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International press releases indicated how the national\nfeatherweight champion of Ceylon, Sumith Liyanage, fought like a gladiator and\nconfronted European champion of Poland, Jerzi Adamski with a vicious right\npunch in the first round but lost on points. The press releases also wrote that\n“If Sumith Liyanage were to win against his opponent, Ceylon would have\nshaken up the boxing world!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sumith Liyanage was known as the ‘Black Panther’ in the local Media\nbecause of his darkish complexion and professional dexterities. After\nparticipating in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he won medals at the Asian Games in\nBangkok and Thailand and Gold Medals in International Boxing events in New\nDelhi and Karachi. Sumith Liyanage was the former Boxing Vice President of the\nAmateur Boxing Association; later, he became the Manager cum Coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sumith Liyanage joined the Police Force as a Sub-Inspector and rose to\nDeputy Inspector General of Police (D.I.G.) in 1994 and retired on 24 June\n1996. He was one of the honest, fearless, and respected Police officers of the\nday, who always cogitated in action. One incident that comes to the writer’s\nmind is when Sumith went to raid a gambling ring, and the gambling leader\npicked a crossbar to attack Sumith. It was a life and death situation for him\nfacing a gang leader. However, Sumith faced the opponent bravely, stating:\n“You bloody young brat, you still do not know who I am, and gave a\npowerful uppercut punch. The challenger fell to the ground and was arrested\nimmediately<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had a distinguished career of 38 years in the Police Force to become\none of the best sportsmen Ceylon ever produced. He excelled in cricket, boxing,\nshooting and motor racing. His colourful gentlemanly personality and qualities\nof high discipline, honesty and integrity made him one of the most respected\nand loved Police officers in the police force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a brilliant career in boxing, he excelled in pistol shooting in\n1991. Later he was the coach for the Sri Lanka Police Pistol team. He became\nthe champion in rifle and pistol shooting and helped Sri Lanka win the Pistol\nshooting in 2007 at the World Police and Firearm games in Adelaide, Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sumith Liyanage had to bear the most heart breaking news when staff at\nthe Police Commission took a strange stance in response to his appeals he made\nto the Commission in connection with his ‘pistol saga’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anguish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, he struggled with the Police Commission, surrounding his ‘target\npistol’<\/em>. Regrettably, it appears that he has lost the battle! In the end,\nSumith wrote in detail to the Editor of the Newsletter of the ‘Retired\nSenior Police Officers Association<\/em> on what took place. The Editor published\nhis letter in its entirety. The following is the text of his letter to the\nEditor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I refer to my article by the Editor regarding the sad and ineffective\nstate of the National Police Commission. Whilst agreeing wholeheartedly with\nthe Editor on the comments presented, I wish to give further evidence\nsupporting my claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Justice and fair play are the aspirations of citizens of all\ncivilised societies. Equality before the law and impartiality in dispensing\njustice are hallmarks of a healthy democracy. It is tragic that the National\nPolice Commission (NPC), the very highest Body that ensured the implementation\nof these ideals, miserably failed up to date or sidestepped its mandated duties\nin the most ignorant of ways.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many, including very senior officers of the Police Department, who\nendlessly expounded high ideals whilst in service, suddenly found that these\nvery noble qualities had vanished mysteriously with their appointment to this\nso-called august body. They are no longer there, and I will refrain from naming\nthem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I sincerely hope that the duo appointed to the NPC and renowned\nfor their forthrightness, ability and who could boast of a high degree of\nhonesty and integrity will size- up the situation and contribute towards a\nradical change in the NPC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As a retired DIG who has put my life on the line of fire ” in operational areas\u201d in guarding several VVIP\u2019s and Executive\nHeads of the State, I am the innocent victim and continue to be denied justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put down facts very\nbriefly<\/strong>: In April 2009, a Bank Robbery took place. During the investigation\nseven suspects were arrested, including my son, a former Commissioned Officer\nof the Sri Lanka Army. The mastermind of the robbery was a Bank Manager, who\nwas arrested based on his confession. The Pistol used in the robbery was\nrecovered from the Bank Manager’s kitchen, as per notes made by the\ninvestigating officer. It was a plastic toy pistol bearing the name ‘Yukon<\/em><\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blatant lie and Fabrication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) took over this investigation. It\nwas handled by an ASP, who telephoned for reasons best known to him, and\nrequested that my ‘target pistol’<\/em> be produced to him for examination. My \u2018 target pistol\u2019<\/em> costs  over one million rupees according to current\nvalue. After having\nconsulted the lawyer appearing on behalf of the accused I handed over the pistol to the Director CCD in the\npresence of the said ASP; neither statements\nwere recorded, nor any receipts issued. Consequent notes of inquiry stated stated that the pistol was found after a search of my house, which was a blatant lie\nand diabolical fabrication. Little did I know my Pistol would be introduced into\nthe case to make it look like\nan armed robbery.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In this connection, I made several written complaints to all\nconcerned, including the IGP, Attorney General and the NPC on 7 December 2015.\nI received a response dated 20 May 2016 (after six months)<\/em> from the\nDirector (Western Province) for Secretary to NPC advising me that they had\ndecided to summon both parties to investigate. I was further directed by letter\nto present myself with my witnesses on 20 May 2016 at 2.30 p.m. Although I\npresented myself with the witnesses on this day at the NPC, no inquiry or\ninvestigation was held.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Subsequently, I received a letter dated 03 May 2016 signed by\nW.A.D.P. Lakshman (Director NPC) requesting that I present myself with my\nwitnesses on 08 June 2016, to which I duly complied. Once more, to my utter\ndisappointment, it was another day of wasting my time, as no inquiry was\nconducted on this day too for reasons unknown.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Incredibly, by letter dated 05 September 2016 bearing reference\nno. PC\/PCID\/WP\/156\/2015, A. G. Dharmadasa, Director PCID (WP) signing for\nSecretary NPC informed me the NPC had suspended the investigation, citing the\npending case in Mt.Lavinia courts, which was the very cause on which I\nsought redress.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ineffectiveness <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To summon an investigation with both parties present, and then\nabruptly suspend or cancel it, citing a baseless argument, stinks of the\nineffectiveness partially on the part of the NPC, and the inability to hold the\npolice department to accountability rather than being the Independent\nCommission that it touts itself to be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The extent of its degeneration is amply reflected when retired\nSenior Police Officers concerned about the Police Department arrive at the\nconclusion the NPC is a damp squib<\/em>!  While the accountability of\nthe Police Department remains no one\u2019s concern.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m utterly disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signed – Sumith M. P. Liyanage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editor of The Retired Senior Police Officers’ Association commented\non Sumith Liyanage’s letter in Issue in No.02 dated July 2019 as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Retired D.I.G. Sumith Liyanage most certainly merited an\ninvestigation. His prestige and creditability were way above those who had done\ninjustice to him. It was an unpardonable travesty of justice on the part of\nrespective IGPs and the NPC not to have had his complaint investigated. A\ndereliction of duty on their part was as serious an offence<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the Ceylon Police Commission can suppress a case from a former\nD.I.G., what more can the writer say about the Commission in the case of a\ncomplaint by an ordinary citizen of Sri Lanka?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

tilakfernando@gmal.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando The writer and his partner were invited on 1 January 2022 by Ceylon oldest living Olympian boxer, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Sumith Liyanage, with some guests. Our conversation at the lunch table discussed details of Sumith’s career in Sri Lanka’s Police force. During the 1960 Olympics in Rome, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-drtilak-s-fernando"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122080\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}