By Suresh P. Perera
In a shocking development, a senior police official who served as the former Director (Supplies), Police Headquarters, has made an official complaint that two gazetted police officers had 'ransacked his office', which contained vital and sensitive documents relating to tenders, no sooner he was transferred to the North.

In his written complaint to Acting DIG (Logistics), Lionel Karunasena, SP Lalith Lekamge says that when he was at home on medical leave, he was informed by a WPC that two ASPs had entered his office and ransacked it after ordering the police constable to leave. This was subsequently confirmed by the Officer-in-Charge of the Division, SP Lekamge has claimed.

'There were some sensitive documents concerning these two officers, one of whom I had recommended for interdiction. In addition, there were vital documents with regard to tenders, such as testing reports, complaints against tenderers etc.', SP Lekamge says in his official complaint.

SP Lekamge, as Director (Supplies) had made a series of detections, including the mysterious disappearance of 15,070 letterheads, including 1090 official letterheads of the then IGP W. B. Rajaguru. Subsequently, he was transferred to Mannar with effect from September 15,1998.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is now probing the missing sensitive letterheads which had disappeared, from the stores housed within police headquarters itself, along with scores of briefcases issued to gazetted police officers, reams of white shirt and trouser material, envelopes and ballpoint pens.

Police officials have expressed concern over the letterheads being used to issue 'forged' police clearance and character certificates, if they find their way into wrong hands.

Contacted in Mannar yesterday, SP Lekamge confirmed that he had in fact made an official complaint regarding the 'ransacking of his office', which he served as Director (Supplies), prior to his transfer. However, he declined to elaborate 'as the matter was pending'.

IGP Lucky Kodituwakku could not be reached for comment.

Police headquarters sources claimed that a non gazetted officer against whom a series of adverse comments had been made by senior officials had been brought back to the supplies division following alleged intervention by a high ranking official.

It's also alleged that SP Lekamge and his family members had received an avalanche of threatening telephone calls after his transfer to the North was announced.

SP Lekamge has requested for an inquiry to determine the necessity of breaking into his office and to ascertain if there were any shortages.