Yapa Abeywardena (Jr.) charged with negligence, no licence, failure to avoid accident

Police have filed charges against Osanda Yapa Abeywardena for negligent driving, driving without a valid licence and with failure to avoid an accident, when a Finance ministry vehicle driven by him collided with a motorcyclist in the Cinnamon Gardens Police area last Sunday.

The vehicle was one of those assigned to State Minister of Finance Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and was driven by his son at the time of the accident.

The charges were filed, despite Mr Abeywardena reaching a settlement with the 19-year-old accident victim,

Police said they will be filing action against Mr Abeywardena, as well as against the motorcyclist, and will report the facts pertaining to the injuries caused as well, to the courts

after paying Rs 125,000.

A Rs 1 million insurance claim for the vehicle, a V-8 Jeep, is reported to have been made. The jeep is insured under the Agrahara insurance scheme meant for State vehicles.

The incident had occurred around 2.30 am when Mr Abeywardena, driving the jeep from the Town Hall side, was turning into Park Street, while the motorcyclist was proceeding towards Town Hall.

Mr Abeywardena was in possession of an Australian licence at the time of the accident, but subsequently produced the local licence.

The motorcyclist was rushed to the National Hospital with a fracture and was discharged on Thursday.

An officer at the Cinnamon Gardens police said the police were informed about the accident on the following day, when the two parties informed that the matter had been settled between them.

As a result, no breathalyser test had been carried out on the driver of the jeep nor on the motorcyclist.

Police said the two parties have made counter claims as to who was responsible for the accident.

Police said they will be filing action against Mr Abeywardena, as well as against the motorcyclist, and will report the facts pertaining to the injuries caused as well, to the courts.

The Sunday Times learns that the motorcyclist's family members' demand of Rs 400,000 to reach a settlement, had been turned down.