Police Media Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera blatantly lied at the Cabinet press briefing yesterday when it said the National Police Commission should investigate into the footage showing IGP Pujith Jayasundara manhandling a lift operator within the Police Headquarters premises.

“It's up to the Police Commission to take up the matter," Gunasekera said, when pressed by the media on the leaked footage which went viral over the past few days.

This was an outright lie as the Police Commission does not have any powers to investigate into the conduct of the IGP.

According to the 17th Amendment upon which the National Police Commission was initially formed, the powers of appointment, promotion, transfer, disciplinary control and dismissal of Police Officers other than the Inspector General of Police have been vested in the Commission.

None of the journalists present at the Cabinet press briefing yesterday raised the question as to why the Police Spokesman, who is also qualified as a lawyer, lied to media.

According to the current law of Sri Lanka, only the lesgilature can initiate action against the IGP who is now at the centre of a major controversy over the leaked footage