Produce owner of 1000 cc bike in courts: Dy Minister

7 April 2016 09:22 pm

Deputy Mass Media and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Karunaratne Paranawithana today said the police must immediately arrest and produce before courts the owner of the 1000 CC, high powered motor cycle that allegedly hit from behind a jeep belonging to the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry at Rajagiriya on the night of February 28.

Addressing the weekly news briefing at the Information Department yesterday, Mr. Paranawithana said the 999 CC motor cycle bearing registration number WP BAK 2011 was not permitted to use for normal travel on a public highway and the Defence Ministry had given permission to ride it only in motor cycle races. The motor cycle must be transported in another vehicle if it was to be moved from one place to another on a high way because it was illegal to ride it on a public road.

“The riding of this high speed motor cycle on a public highway was itself a violation of the Motor Traffic Law. Secondly, it has hit the Ministry jeep from behind which is clearly not a fault of the driver. We have information that the driver has directly driven to the Welikada Police after the two youth who rode the cycle had attempted to attack him. I do not know whether the police had already arrested the owner of the motor cycle. If not they must arrest him or her for letting the two youth to ride this motor cycle illegally and risking the lives of road users,” Mr. Paranawithana stressed.

He lamented that the media did not give the correct picture of this accident and certain bankrupt politicians had used it to sling mud at Minister Ranawaka and added he had become a victim of irresponsible and bias media that reported only the one side of of the story and bankrupt and malicious politicians who had a personal vendetta on Minister Ranawaka.

The government or Minister Ranawaka had never attempted influence the police investigation and minister Ranawaka had even refused to hold a media conference to explain the truth because the matter was now before courts.

“A group of bankrupt and spineless politicians have handed over a no confidence motion against Minister Ranawaka over this accident. It is not on an allegation on his character and performance or policies. This no confidence motion has been handed over to the Speaker on personal hatred on Minister Ranawaka. The government is ready to face not one or two no confidence motions but hundred presented by this bankrupt joint opposition members,” Mr. Paranawithana added.(Sandun Jayasekara)