News
Traffic cop doubtful of fair inquiry into his complaint
A traffic policeman who was allegedly beaten by an unidentified gang and had his private car burnt after he had taken action against the driver of a deputy minister for speeding on the Southern Expressway, expressed doubts this week that there would be a fair inquiry into the complaint he lodged.
Suminda Saman Gunasena who tendered his resignation as a policeman last month after 14 years in service told the Sunday Times that some of the statements he made to teams carrying out the investigations had allegedly ended up with the deputy minister Hemal Gunasekara as he was responding to the allegations in the media.
He said that some of the officers involved in the investigations were making use of the vehicles of the deputy minister to travel around.
“Therefore I have doubts about the investigation and believe that the truth will be suppressed,” Mr. Gunasena said.
Three police teams were deployed to carry out investigations into a series of incidents including an incident where the policemen had been threatened by the deputy minister after his driver was given a ticket at the Kottawa exit point, for speeding. The incident had occurred on May 20.
The driver had been allegedly speeding at 141 kmph when the maximum speed limit was 100 kmph.
Ten days later when policeman Saman was driving his own vehicle – a Nano car – for duty, an unidentified group had followed him in a cab and blocked his path in the Dodangoda police area. They allegedly assaulted him and later set fire to his vehicle.
A month later Saman sent in his resignation from the police service, but so far has not had a response from Police Headquarters to his letter.
“I was threatened by an influential person who ordered me to come to Kalutara. For my own security I cannot disclose his name. He threatened me and said that if did not take a step back in the incident involving the deputy minister I would regret it later. I feared for the lives of my wife and three children”, he said.
“I have no problem with the Government, but my point is that an ordinary police officer will not be able to perform his duties if this type of incident continues”, he said.
He said that as regards the incident at the Kottawa exit point all recordings should be available on the closed circuit TV cameras and the investigators would not find it difficult to find the truth.
This week the police filed action against Mr. Gunasekara’s official driver in the Homagama Courts on charges of using a false number plate and failure to obey police orders to stop his vehicle. The vehicle was displaying a false garage number.
The case against the driver has been fixed for September 23.
Mr. Gunasekara claimed that the garage number given to him was C/13/1188 for his BMW vehicle, but a false charge had been filed for using the number C/13/1183.
He claimed that the policeman was trying to claim that he was under threat in order to emigrate.
“I am extending my support to the investigation as I want it completed soon,” he added.