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Police Commission also rocked by resignation
With the independent bribery commission crippled for months over a dispute in appointing a member, a similar fate is looming over another important body-the Independent Police Commission.

The Independent Police Commission has run into a crisis after one of its members tendered his resignation in protest over another member in the Commission allegedly seeking personal favour to promote a relative police officer.

Speaker Joseph Michael Perera confirmed that commission member B.N.Wijeweera had sent in his resignation to the Commission which started work two months ago.

The Speaker who heads the Constitutional Council which nominates members of the commission said the council had asked the other member of the commission to step down pending investigations as the council had no power to remove a member.

Dr. Wijeweera has sent in his resignation to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the President is to write to the Constitutional Council calling for details about the allegation, Presidential spokesman Janadasa Peiris said.

The Commission's Chairman Ranjith Abeysuriya, confirmed that one of its members had sent in the resignation, but declined to comment on the reasons. The other commission members are Prof. M.T.A.Furkhan, Mrs. S.N.Ebert, the Ven Dr. T. Seelakkhandha Thera, Mr. Ashoka de Z. Gunasekara, Mr. Ranjit Abeyasuriya and Dr. K. Steven.

The Sunday Times learns that the member concerned had made representations on behalf of a relative police officer to be promoted when the Commission had one of its sittings recently. Dr. Wijeweera is reported to have protested about the move.

The Independent Police Commission was established under the 17th amendment to the Constitution with the aim of freeing the police force from political influences and to promote officers on their merit.

Already the Permanent Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption has run into crisis as they cannot function properly following the demise of one of its members in February this year and so far the Constitutional Council failing to find a suitable replacement.

The Independent Election Commission also has not been established so far resulting in the Commission failing to come into operation. The Police Commission was gearing to step up its activities when Dr. Wijeweera's resignation was sent in.

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