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UNP MP accused of interfering in traffic case By Nalaka
Nonis Ratnapura ASP
L. G. Kulatunga said the parliamentarian, A. A. Wijetunga, and two
PS members had come to the police station and asked him to immediately
transfer the traffic policeman who he claimed was demoralizing people
unnecessarily. The ASP said
he told the MP that policemen could not be transferred in that manner
and a proper legal procedure had to be followed. The MP then said that his party was in power and the transfer had to be made. Police sources
said the MP was furious because the traffic policeman had nabbed
several of his supporters who were breaking the law by riding motorcycles
without wearing helmets. Mr. Wijetunga
told The Sunday Times that the charges against him were false and
the police were trying to sling mud at him because he was trying
to discipline the police. He said the
traffic policeman concerned was not doing his duty properly and
he had asked both the ASP and the DIG to transfer that constable. Adding to the
confusion, PA parliamentarian John Seneviratne charged that Mr.
Wijetunga was acting like a thug and trying to bring the police
under his control. He said that if the government wanted to discipline
police, it must first discipline its politicians and the PA would
take up the matter in parliament. UNP General
Secretary Senarath Kapukotuwa said that from what he had heard,
nothing serious had happened and some elements were trying to sensationalise
the dispute. DIG Neville Wijesinghe said he was looking into all sides of the story and would give a report to the IGP. FR case: Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe’s guards fined By Laila
Nasry The majority
judgment delivered by Justices P. Edussuriya with Justice Hector
S. Yapa agreeing stated it would be a travesty if the State which
included the ordinary law abiding citizen was made to bear the full
brunt of the compensation for the errant acts of two policemen.
The judges
directed the State to pay Rs. 15,000 to the petitioner as compensation
and costs. The court held
that the fundamental rights of petitioners, Haritha Adhikary and
his wife Thanuksha, had been violated by the police officers, K.S.
Amarasinghe and K. Somadasa. In the majority
judgment it was stated that the "MSD officers have conducted
themselves in a manner no right thinking person however high he
may be would have acted." Justice Shirani Bandaranayake in a separate judgment said their conduct amounted to a total lack of discipline, regard and respect to the general public in the country. "When police officers who are guardians of the law and whose duties include to prevent all offences, preserve peace and to apprehend disorderly characters behave in an outrageous manner without paying heed to safeguarding and perfecting the rights of the people, a dismal picture of such an officer held in high esteem emerges." She said, "if
officers in such authority are not trained to act with dignity and
humility in respect of the rights of the people it is my view that
the State has an obligation to bear the costs of such action." On April 9,
2002 the lawyer and his wife were obstructed and assaulted at the
Narahenpita intersection in the thick of traffic by the two officers
who dragged the lawyer out of the car by his collar and slapped
him. His wife, with their 18-month-old child, coming to the rescue of her husband was also slapped and abused in filth. They were also threatened with death. Fire did not touch vital documents By Shanika
Udawatte He said the documents and material relating to court cases including that of former Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte, were stored in a separate building. A short circuit in the electric supply has been identified as the cause of the fire. The fire had started from the roof of the production room of the Department, Senior Assistant Government Analyst W G D S Gunasekara said. The CID has also been called in for investigations. |
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