Former MP Sri Ranga further remanded in 2011 accident case:
Vehicle driven by MP kills Sergeant, facts distorted by Police :
Vavuniya High Court Judge Manikkavasagar Ilancheliyan sentenced Chief Inspector Sugath Roshan Sanjeewa, who served as the Cheddikulam Police Officer-In-Charge at the time, to six months imprisonment and suspended it for seven years after being accused of concealing evidence in a car accident caused by former MP and journalist Sri Ranga on August 9. The judge ordered that Rs.500,000 be paid as compensation to the wife of the Police Sergeant who was killed by creating a false vehicle accident.
The judge also ordered that former MP J.Sri Ranga, who is currently on remand on charges of false manslaughter and in connection with influencing witnesses in the trial, be remanded until November 6.When the suspect, the former MP was travelling from Medawachchiya to Settikulam on March 30, 2011 in an unregistered jeep an accident had taken place opposite the Settikulam Hospital. A Police Sergeant (36759), a father of three G. Udaya Jayamini Pushpakumara, a resident of Navathalwatte, Alawwa had been killed. It was declared in court that police officers on duty at the time of this incident had reported false information and stated that the Sergeant had been driving when he was killed and that investigations had been completed.
Based on a complaint regarding the accident, made by the wife of the Sergeant who died in the incident, officers of the Police Special Investigations Unit had conducted an investigation. Then it had been revealed that it was former MP J. Sri Ranga who had been driving and caused the accident killing the Sergeant. The Attorney General had filed a case at the Vavuniya High Court under 11 charges.
On March 28th, a case was filed under the Victims Protection Act against the accused former Member of Parliament for trying to influence over the phone, two people who gave evidence in the relevant trial and taking those witnesses in a van to another place and demanding and threatening that they should not give evidence.The former Settikulam Police Station OIC Chief Inspector Sugath Roshan Sanjeewa, who was charged with concealment of information appeared in court and declared that he pleads guilty to all the charges. Subsequent to considering the facts presented, the Judge sentenced Chief Inspector Sanjeewa to a suspended prison sentence and a fine.Former SP Amarasiri Senaratne (Retired DIG) who was in charge of the, Vavuniya Division, Vavuniya former Assistant Superintendent of Police Harischandra Bandara (Retired SSP), Police Sergeant Priyadarshana Herath who worked at Settikulam Police Station and Police Constable W.G.Padmapala are the officers who were charged in this case.
State Counsel Dhammika Udawatta and officers of the Police Special Investigation Division represented the prosecution. The hearing is scheduled to resume on November 6.
Rasula Dilhara Gamage