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Police chief: The story behind the story
By Chris Kamalendran
Last week's picture and report on the front page of The Sunday Times that T. E. Anandarajah has won another term as Inspector General of Police, raised many a query from our readers. “How can a newspaper like yours get it wrong?,” asked one reader over the telephone. “How did you make such a mistake,” asked another in a terse one line letter to the Editor.

Well, when The Sunday Times went to press, the story was clear. It was T. E. Anandarajah whose extension of service had been recommended by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Interior Minister John Ameratunga told The Sunday Times he had recommended an extension for Mr. Anandarajah while Presidential Spokesman Harim Peiris added "President Kumaratunga endorsed this recommendation".

On Friday Mr. Peiris admitted President Kumaratunga had changed her mind. "She took a different decision on Saturday (October 4) night, he said. If Mr. Peiris did not want our story to be attributed to him last week, this time he said "you can quote me". He said: "I was under the belief that Mr. Anandarajah's appointment had been endorsed. It is on that basis that I spoke. But things changed later."

During a meeting with President Kumaratunga this Thursday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told her he had asked Interior Ministry Secretary N.M. Junaid to co-ordinate with all DIGs and supervise the work of the police chief until the Constitutional Council took a decision. Barely an hour after the meeting ended, President Kumaratunga had appointed Indra de Silva as acting IGP.

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