Megapolis and Western Province Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday said that he had nothing to hide about last Sunday’s SUV-motorcycle accident which injured two persons at Rajagririya.

Addressing a meeting at the Kalutara District Secretariat yesterday the minister said:

“Media are publishing distorted accounts of an accident that occurred last Sunday involving a vehicle belonging to our ministry. It was driven by a driver attached to our ministry. Many youth who visited the motor car exhibition last weekend were riding their bikes recklessly.

A group of youth rode their motorcycles at Parliament road. Cylinder capacity of the motorcycle involved in the accident was 1,000. Such motorcycles are not allowed on public roads. A group of youth numbering more than ten had been riding motorcycles at very high speed several times and police too had noticed that.

They had rammed their motorcycle into the back of our vehicle. The police are conducting investigations. We have not hidden anything.

“We hope that police will do an impartial inquiry. We have seen in the recent past how young children were riding high speed motorcycles on public roads. Such practices were not seen for sometime. It seems they have been resumed again under the Yahapalana government.

Therefore we ask the police to enforce the law to the letter. We have not covered up anything. We handed over the vehicle and the driver to the police. There is a case pending before courts to determine who was responsible for the accident. We as law abiding citizens will cooperate with the police and courts.

In the meantime, I call upon parents to keep a watchful eye on their children and not to allow them to ride high speed motorcycles. There has been a similar accident at Piliyandala recently.”

Courtesy:The Island