Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Rs. 1,000 each robbed from the public who apply: SB

- BY SANDUN A JAYASEKERA

Former Minister and SLFP dissident group front liner S.B. Dissanayak­a charged that the Motor Traffic Department robs Rs. 1,000 each from the public who apply to obtain new driving licenses and renew them.

Addressing the SLFP rebel group’s media briefing at the ‘Center for Media Freedom’ he said the Department charges Rs.30,000 to issue a new driving license and Rs. 20,000 to renew it and obtains Rs. 1,000 from each applicant and added the department issues 30,000 new licenses and 20,000 renewals a month.

‘I would like to make an appeal to Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva to initiate an inquiry to this alleged fraud and punish those involved,” he added. Commenting on the alleged conspiracy to assassinat­e President Maithripal­a Sirisena and former Defence Secretary by Director, Terrorist Investigat­ion Division, DIG Nalaka Silva as disclosed by Namal Kumara, Mr. Disssanaya­ka said it was unacceptab­le and unbecoming for the IGP, Pujitha Jayasunada­ra to accompany DIG, Silva to the Kelaniya Temple to perform a religious ceremony after the exposure.

“This is extremely unethical and indecent act on the part of IGP Jayasundar­a. How could a police chief accompany a suspect to a temple? Besides, the allegation­s are on a conspiracy to murder the President and former Defence Secretary. That is why we demand not only DIG Silva but IGP Jayasundar­a must also be named as a suspect to the conspiracy and suspend him,” Mr. Disssanaya­ka stressed.

He said the Police Department was controlled by the Chief of Staff of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesi­nghe and Minister Sagala Ratnayaka and therefore the joint opposition did not have confidence on the genuine and truthful inquiry on the conspiracy and added late Justice Minister Felix Dias Bandaranai­ke was able to round up over two dozens of military and police officers in two hours in 1962 who attempted a coup d’etat against Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranai­ke and lamented the Police or the CID had failed so far to come up with a satisfacto­ry progress report.

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