Acting IGP seeks report on accident

Two eyewitnesses of the controversial Rajagiriya accident had arrived at the Police Head Quarters yesterday and handed over a written complaint where they had stated that the driver of the jeep at the time of the accident was Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said Acting IGP Senior DIG S.m.wickremesinghe had informed the police to send the written statements to Western Province Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara.

He said the Acting IGP Wickremesinghe had also informed Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara to submit a report of the accident and allegations levelled against Minister Champika Ranawaka by the two eye witnesses.

The two eye witnesses had arrived at the police HQ with their lawyers, police said.

The accident took place on February 28 night in Rajagiriya, leaving two youths critically injured.

The jeep which was involved in the accident had fled the scene and a person who claimed to be the driver of the jeep had surrendered to the Borella Police after about 20 minutes of the accident, said ASP Gunasekara.

The person who apparently claimed to have been driving the jeep was produced in court and released on surety bail.

Speaking at an event, Minister Ranawaka had said it was the driver of his ministry who had driven the ministry’s jeep at the time the accident took place last Sunday.

Police investigations have not yet found whether there had been a change of driver in the jeep involved in the accident before it reached the Borella Police and that the driver had surrendered to the Welikada Police.