M. Walter F. Abeykoon

M. Walter F. Abeykoon, CCS was a Ceylonese civil servant and served as the Inspector General of Police between 1959 and 1963.

Abeykoon was a civil servant, a Land Settlement Officer[1] who received his education at Ananda College, Colombo.[2] His brother M. K. Walter Abeykoon (1901-1982) was the Senior Assistant Registrar at the University of Ceylon and the first Registrar at the Vidyalankara University, Kelaniya.[3]

Abeykoon having served in the Ceylon Civil Service for many years, was appointed as Inspector General of Police (IGP) on 1 May 1959 by his personal friend and bridge partner, Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike.[4] The appointment was highly controversial as the Prime Minister appointed Abeykoon from outside the service by-passing a number of senior career police officers, on the basis Abeykoon was a Sinhala Buddhist. Senior police officers protested and DIG C. C. Dissanayake tendered his resignation, which was later withdrawn. The appointment was made by Bandaranaike after removed the then IGP Osmund de Silva the first Ceylonese to be appointed as IGP from within the force, who had refused Bandaranaike's requested for police intervention against trade union action occurring at Colombo Harbour.[5] De Silva declined to do the Prime Minister's bidding on the basis that he believed the request was not lawful.[6][7] On 24 April 1959, de Silva was compulsorily retired from the police force with Abeyakoon subsequently appointed in his place.[8]

In 1962, when an coup d'état attempted by senior officers of the military and police, Abeykoon was caught off guard.[9] Early warning from one of conspirators allowed the government to respond in time. In 1963, then Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike replaced Abeykoon with DIG S. A. Dissanayake who was instrumental in countering the 1962 coup.