No decision taken to deny police bail for drunk drivers

No decision has been taken to suspend the system of providing police bail for drunk drivers, a police spokesperson said today.

Several reports have been circulating in recent days claiming that the police had decided to stop granting police bail to drivers who were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and that arrested drunk drivers would be produced in court without granting them police bail.

However, Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that no such decision had been taken.

Thalduwa said the OICs of the respective Police stations had the authority to decide whether certain drunk drivers would be granted bail or denied bail and produced in court.

Depending upon the type of specimen provided and/or the results of the alcohol breath test, a person can either be released without charge, bailed and informed to attend the police station at a later date or charged and bailed to appear at a Magistrates Court, according to the police. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)