A group lawyers will lodge a complaint to the Police Commission against the Welikada police over its failure to take action against Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Champika Ranawaka, who is alleged to have been involved in an accident in Rajagiriya which injured two, with one of the victims sustaining serious injuries on February 28.
Champika Ranawaka In Hot Water
Despite a detailed account by an eye witness, Gayashan Vinura who claimed that the vehicle was driven by Ranawaka, and even though they have given a statement to this effect to the police clearly stating that it was the Minister who was involved, action has not been taken, and instead another person is reported to have surrendered to the police, who was also bailed out even though the victim continues to be in the Intensive Care Unit.
Lawyers of the victim said that they were surprised about the police inaction. “Whether the culprit is a poor person or a politician, the law should be the same to everyone,” lawyer Premanath dolawatta said.
Two eyewitnesses, Gayashan Vinura and Mohamed Sufai had yesterday submitted two affidavits to the Police Headquarters, claiming that Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, had driven the vehicle involved in the accident. ( Read affidavits here and here )
Meanwhile, Acting IGP Senior DIG S.M.Wickremesinghe has instructed the Welikada police to send copies of the written statements to Western Province Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara, after several Parliamentarians in a letter requested the IGP to ensure justice is meted out in the matter.
Ranawaka has denied involvement in the allegation and claimed that the vehicle was in fact been driven by a staff member of his ministry, despite two eyewitness accounts.
In 2002, also during a UNF government, the career of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody ended abruptly after he tried to cover up a motor accident involving his official car and a lorry, which killed the lorry assistant who sustained severe injuries following the accident. Air Force driver Upul Jayakody had turned up at the Borella Police to own up that he drove the Air Force Commander’s official vehicle. That was whilst the police had not interviewed Air Marshal Weerakkody for many days.
DIG Nimal Gunatilleke’s investigations found that it was Air Marshal Weerakkody who had driven the official vehicle.
Related posts;
Audio: Champika Ranawaka In Hot Water As New Evidence Surfaces On Rajagiriya Accident
Ben Hurling / March 5, 2016
Champuka could have won the whole country.
Only if he just turned up at the Police station and lodged a statement explaining exactly what had happened. Turned himself in, if necessary. Let the law take its course. The guy is a “Nationalist Buddhist” fanatic. Therefore very unlikely alcohol was involved.
This country is so thirsty for upright politicians. We would have embraced that quality. We would have brushed a lot of his other shortcomings aside.
Alas! It looks likes it was not meant to be. He is playing by the same rotten rules all other monkeys have played in this country. Ever since 1948.
Cheers!
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Jim softy / March 5, 2016
Ben Hurling
Modaya
Sri lankan culture is such, if the driver stops, he will be beaten and sets fire to the vehicle.
Listen to the video, what he had said when they stopped the vehicle. IF he wanted he could have gone stopping even to the motor bike.
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Sinhala_Man / March 6, 2016
Dear “Jim softy”,
You don’t seem to have read what “Ben Hurling” has written. He has NOT said that Ranawaka ought to have stopped at the scene of the accident. What he has said is that he ought to have made a bee-line to the Police Station etc.
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S.Modaya / March 7, 2016
Champika Ranawaka is a Megalomaniac. He has a Ego and that is why he is the Minister of MEGAapolis Development.
Mega development projects, that require lots of concrete and environmental destruction and hazard, are totally out of favour in international development today.
Mega development projects are considered UNfriendly to the local people and dangerous to fragile ecosystems and environment.
Mega city projects and such like are the vanity projects of over-ambitious, backward, and vain politicians – like Mahinda Jarapassa who borrowed MEGA loans from China to build white elephant MEGA projects – Hambantota Port, Airport, Stadium, convention centre and got Sri Lanka into a massive DEBT TRAP.
Pathala Champika is set to continue this MEGA NATIONAL DEBT style of ‘developmen’ which really is DE-DEVELOPMENT, just to boost his vanity and profile as he wants to the the SInhala Buddhist Emperor of Sri Lanka and wants to be known to the S. Modayas as such!
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Tamil from the north / March 6, 2016
Hey Jim Shitty, was a Tamil Anglican Christian involved in this?
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thrishu / March 6, 2016
I think this man also blotted his copy book by dishonesty, at a time when he could have shown that he is a straight guy and honest and won people’s hearts. Now he has shown to the world, that when he farts, he too stinks as every other dishonest political bums
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Hitchimalli / March 7, 2016
Thrisu should be a fart master to leave the kind of comment. How come a man who works for a prestigious institute leaves the kind of remarks though the substance could be right. This nature is common to lanken men in research. Had he used a better vocabulatry, I would have pleased him for his comment.
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shankar / March 6, 2016
“Only if he just turned up at the Police station and lodged a statement explaining exactly what had happened.”
can’t change the DNA mate.Try changing yourself if you can.If you look like a weasal,then you think like a weasal and act like a weasal too.If you look like a lion then it would have been different.
Yu can’t blame this bloke for the genes passed down by his parents.main thing is he has the brains i think for the megapolis project and so far i have not heard of any bribes he has taken which is an achievement in this environment.
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Spring Koha / March 6, 2016
The truth is that if Champika went to the police station straight away, the police would have noticed a big brown patch on the back of Patta Champika’s white arya-Sinhala suit and the game would have been up.
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Ajith / March 5, 2016
The is same as of Gnanasara afraid to go to prison.
Moota kata witharai, thamangema waradi piliganna ekane mahathmaa gathiyaa.
Mooth MR regime ekatama galapena ekek.
This man has only mouth, but afraid to stay in prison where his former friend Gnanasara keep visit these days.
Good luck to yahapalanaya…
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Crazyoldmansl / March 5, 2016
“Whether the culprit is a poor person or a politician, the law should be the same to everyone,”
It was for enforcing this principle that ELARA also kown as MANU NEEDHI CHOLAN was killed by DUSHTA GAMUNU and his elitist friends who lost their aristocratic privileges due to ELARAS attempt to implement this principle AT THE BEHEST of king KAVAN TISSA in order to break the culture of impunity for the strong that prevailed then and PREVAILS now as part and parcel of SINHALA BUDDHIST ‘CIVILIZATION’.
Let us see whether the SPIRIT OF MANU NEEDHI CHOLAN or the SPIRIT OF DUSTHA GAMUNU PREVAILS TODAY.
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Jagath Fernando / March 5, 2016
This is the land of the stupid and hence the third grade politicians are above the law.
Damn good for everyone who vote these jokers into power.
It is the same shit with a different set of flies!!!
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colin / March 5, 2016
Where were these lawyers when so many atrocities took place during the last regime? If they had been active then and took similar measures then kudos to them. But did they? Why only now and they must be at the least happy there is a Police Commission to air their grievances unlike in the past where you have to only complain to a blank wall
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words / March 5, 2016
Stop talking crap. . You are too obsessed with the past regime..
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ruwan / March 5, 2016
“Where were these lawyers when so many atrocities took place during the last regime?”
You silly fool. They would have been either kidnapped or killed under the last regime.
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Saro / March 5, 2016
Champika Ranawaka is a clever politician. His drawback is his Buddhist nationalism but also interested in building the country unlike selfish power hungry ruler of tester year.
The true culprit must be caught and held to counter the offence. Otherwise it will be one law for the poor/ layman and another to the rich /powerful as in the past.
Sri Lanka must wake up and build the institutions and the economic infra structure of the country. We haven’t had any leader with a vision since 1948 except perhaps SWRD-whose leadership was brought to an abrupt end by Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism. He played into the hands of the nationalist and layed the foundation of second discord with the first stone of Sinhala-Only act, the first being the Nationality Act of 1948/49 and government sponsored colonisation of East and north by the first PM, DS-.
The common masses hope yahapalana will put an end to the traditions of familial rules and divisive nationalistic acts of the past.
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Nic / March 5, 2016
Hi Saro! The true culprit per the TWO eye witnesses who had followed the vehicle which presumably had stopped at the scene and then moved away from the scene of the accident have identified that the occupant behind the driving wheel declaring that he is Champika Ranawaka. Are you suggesting the eye witnesses are not credible? What also is of interest is what happened to the Minister’s security detail – were they not following the vehicle in their numbers like how it used to be during the MR era?
Additionally the action of the ill educated and trained police personnel of Welikada Station cannot be ignored. No one giving any statement at any place, including a police station cannot be asked to sign a document not penned by him without reading its contents. That is a violation of one’s fundamental right. Invariably the statements are recorded in Sinhala and the provision MUST be made to translate or interpret same prior to one signing it should the person giving the statement not be competent in the language in which the statement is recorded.
The police personnel involved should be dismissed from the force. Furthermore the scene of the accident is not far from the Police Station either!!! Additionally the guy who came forward as the driver should also be arrested and charged for fraud and tampering with truth.
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Nish / March 6, 2016
You know that SWRD was killed by a known elite UNP supporter right? The gun was fired by a monk, yes. But who gave the weapon? Who did SWRD piss off when he nationalized all essential industries? Who did really benefit once he was killed? Was it the Sinhala nationalists or the western multinationals and their local cohorts?
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hb / March 5, 2016
Had Champika done the right thing, he would have come out as one of the best in the current lot and could have gone on to even become the president of SL. But his action shows that he’s as crooked as the rest of the rotten lot. He has a dream of running for presidency. This episode shows that if he by some chance becomes a president he will be as dangerous as the previous dictator.
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Hesh / March 6, 2016
The dictator who held every election on time and the good governance that keeps postponing elections. Interesting interpretations I guess.
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Jim softy / March 5, 2016
I think this is very political.
A 1000 CC new bike, Driver should not have been not under control well.
LAwyers look like hyenas looking for blood.
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Jim softy / March 5, 2016
As this video evidence show, It looks it is the 1000 CC motor bike that crashed on to the rear side of Champika Ranawaka’s Vehicle.
In that case, Motor bike is the guilty. Because, the driver an not avoid any vehicles coming from behind.
Secondly, Sri lanka culture, is beating the driver, setting fire to the vehicle etc., etc., and even in this Video, this guy says they chased and wanted to beat the driver, if that is the case, it is very reasonable that driver run away in order to avoid harm for himself.
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Nagananda / March 5, 2016
Ben Hurling, I absolutely agree with you.
Most have mistaken that Sri Lanka is a democracy, whereas it is not. Sri Lanka is surely a pseudo democracy run by corrupt to the core group of cheats, sadly with no integrity at all.
I sent a important Article to be published today, with first hand evidence of abuse of the system to please utterly dishonest people, who pretended to be the saviours of the nation. You will find it so difficult to comprehend how the so-called Republic of Sri Lanka is abused by politico cheats to serve their ulterior objectives, even the Chief Justice, the head of the Judiciary has not been spared.
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Conrad. P. / March 5, 2016
CHAMPIKA RANAWAKA IN HOT WATER.
However hot the water may be CR will eventually get out of it. It is the average citizen who will be scalded by the hot water and end up with severe burns.
Secondly the media has messed up the entire episode.
The eye witnesses statements should never have been made public and both witnesses statements should have been recorded seperately to make sure they tally.
In a developed country, police record witness statements seperately and they are not made public except in a court of law.
The media has no right to interview any witness in public untill the case is over. Maybe in Sri lanka it is the other way round.
Finally having been to Sri lanka i must state that lankan drivers are very uneducated with regard to traffic laws and traffic and road signs are inadequate all over the country.
All police men cannot speak english other than their mother tongue and seem to be very lethargic. Readers will say ” this is our land and we do not need to know english” so be it.
It is never to late to completely overhaul the traffic laws of SL and it is a hard job to do, but you need educated, determined, strong, unbiassed non political persons to do that and that is the most difficult part of it. Nothing is impossible if one has the will to accomplish it.
As for me i always try to dissuade friends and known persons from visiting SL because the roads are ” killer roads on which killers behind wheels plough along.”
Other than the above SL is a nice country, friendly people, fantastic climate, foodies dream, lovely beaches, etc etc.
If SL’s can bring in very clean politicians after which the other ways of life will naturally fall in place for the good of all, then you have a gem of a land for all to visit.
Good luck to SL and hope it will turn into a better place for all to see and visit.
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Billa / March 5, 2016
Mega Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist in a mega mess ! It will be shaped up..finally !He’s a minister after all.
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KA Sumanasekera / March 6, 2016
Oh Boy…I thought this was a selfie of Bloemendhal Sanka , when he was on Sabbatical before Yahapalanaya kicked in..
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Roger / March 6, 2016
I trust that the police will be bold enough to conduct a fair investigation. From the pictures of the defender it appears that the motorcycle has hit the rear left side of the vehicle.it is clear that the motorcycle rider is the cause of the accident. Its said that if you have banged the rear you are the wrong doer. Mr C R can you tell the people what exactly tpok place that night
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Lakshman / March 6, 2016
No, its not how the accident happened. Please read the news stories. The Vehicle has entered the main road from a by-road ignoring oncoming traffic. The motorcycle rider couldn’t have stopped in time.
In any case, considering how the law and order are currently being manipulated in the country, the outcome is clear. Nothing will happen to the minister. And in a months time, all everything is forgotten. New circus will come to town for all of us to talk about.
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Gune / March 6, 2016
This is a good move. Nobody is above the law. I am a 100% supporter of the yahapalanaya government but action must be taken and high standards and integrity must be established. I hope the lawyers go flat out against corrupt and dishonest politicians and the police for the sake of the public. We have nobody to turn to in situations such as this.
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Rupa / March 6, 2016
This minister is as bad as Gamanpila a real slippery eel and lies through his teeth. He pretends to be a good worker but, he is far from it. We hv met him twice to sort out a problem with the UDA which comes under him but he just gave us some guys tel no to call and that man never picks up the phone so we know he is a big humbug. Only talk no action and we can do without ministers like Champika
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harry hatton / March 6, 2016
Now Champika Ranawaka is called Sir by many ! He is a Gantalman !Also he reads books and talks like a Pundit !
So shut up pollow him .
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words / March 6, 2016
May we in keeping with the new trend in our country humbly suggest that the Scotland Yard be called in to investigate this incident??? Surely that’s the fair thing to do?
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thondamanny / March 6, 2016
Colin ; Past regime is history. Look to what is happening now.
Saro: Chammpika is a fool. His actions in this incident itself is clear.
Do not bring in Gammanpilla to this RUPA. If gammanpilla has given U the boot settle scores elsewhere.
Some Questions………..
a) Why did not CR stop to assist the injured?
b) OR why did he not make a bee line to the Welikada Police?
( Is this a clue that he was at the wheel?)
( How long afterward after the accident did CR’s driver appear at the borella police and not at Welikada?)
c) Was this vehicle a stolen vehicle? If it was from another Ministry, and why did not that Minister take action to retrieve it?
d) has there been any crimes or polls violations committed by this vehicle used by CR which belong to another Ministry?
e) from where was he returning at that time?
The “POL” is affecting every sphere & people.. it appears.
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Jim softy / March 6, 2016
IF the motor biker hits the vehicle from rear it is the driver who hit from behind is the guilty party. In this it is the motor biker.
HOw come police arrest the drive who was from the vehicle that in front ?
IF that is the case, it looks like a stupid law enforcement.
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harry hatton / March 6, 2016
Jimmy , the driver of the big government owned vehicle ( air conditioned, tinted etc)could be guilty of leaving a scene of an accident, failure to report an accident etc. The question here is not the accident , but the ministers ( driver ?) conduct after the accident.
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Shrikharan / March 6, 2016
It is really not a question whether it was his driver or the Champika Ranawaka who drove the vehicle. It does not matter whether it was his driver who was on control of the steering, but still the Minister who was in the vehicle during the accident, is the master and the owner of the vehicle involved in a ‘hit and run’ accident. It is ultimately the responsibility of Champika being the owner, master and co traveller of vehicle, he should have order the driver to stop.
If he was an ordinary citizen he would have been arrested by now. All rules are the same for every citizen and being an MP or Minister does not by any means exempt from being prosecuted especially after fleeing away following an accident.
I am sorry to say Champika should be really arrested even if the benefit of the doubt was granted he did not drive the vehicle because he was the master and co-traveler and he should have ordered his driver to stop, which he did not do.
Then what is the difference between Rajapkse’s Government and the present? So the politicians are better equals!
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Shrikharan / March 6, 2016
Again goes the merry go round. When next time Rajapakse side come to power, they will dig up this case like how the present Government dug up Thajudeen’s case and became a darling of late Thajudeen.
When Rajapakse come back to power then the motorcyclist will become the darling and will weep crocodile tears for him and restart investigations and which certainly will prove the Minister Champika Ranawaka was in fact the driver of the hit and run vehicle. Again the police department will once again come to great disrepute. They will then accuse political interference in the police and judiciary.
This is the problem when the Government Departments does certainly have political interference and are not totally independent. The people will certainly lose faith in the present Government who told lies and came to power promising they will eliminate all forms of corruption and political favoritism.
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BBS Rep / March 7, 2016
I wish Pathala Champika had the same integrity as these two witnesses.
All they were asking is for some assistance for the injured. They were even willing to forgive the offender saying after all it was only an accident.
Out gutless politician heroes will continue to thrive in this thrice blessed land of modayas.
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mewan / March 7, 2016
This administration and the people who are supporting it fast becoming a bloody joke and looking at the idiotic comments that appear at various media outlets, it looks like the country got the moronic politicians it deserves.
The latest joke is that JHU has come out and said that CR was at home! Wow, we don’t need inquires now the cases is solved. The perfect alibi provided by JHU. Just one crucial point – could you please elaborate how you know that without perjuring yourself? It gets even better – now it seems like there is a youth motorbike gang out to get CR and purposefully hit his car and went to the extent of risking someone’s life to prove — what??? What is bemusing is not these conspiracy theories are being floated, but there appear to be plenty of imbeciles who support those completely blinded by their allegiance to yahapalanaya!
It is abundantly clear that this is a completely a chance encounter. The youths were coming out of an even from BMICH (which can be verified). The time they happen to be at the spot where the accident happened cannot be predetermined. Various factors, such as traffic conditions makes it completely out of their control. There is no way they would have known that CR would be at the spot where the accident happened. There is no evidence that they have been following him as the two parties came from different directions.
There are some who think that the fault is with the biker and hence there is no fault with the CR, even in fact he was driving. In any decent country when an accident happens regardless of the presumed fault, all involved parties stop and attend to the injured until help comes. CR should have stopped and volunteered to help and take the injured to the hospital, regardless whether it is his fault or not. As a responsible member of the society this is the least expected from him. If he had identified himself, it is unlikely he would have been assaulted.
After the accident once the police knew there is a charge against CR they should have gone to see him immediately and ascertain where he was at the time of the accident. If he was with his good mates of JHU, then he has a perfect alibi and should not be further investigated. No one has yet proven definitely the two youths were lying, even though they absolutely have no incentive to do so.
The two youths mentioned that they have given the exact statement to the police as was given to the media putting their necks on line. They have not recanted their statements. No doubt enough pressure will be put on them to recant either by force or bribe and it will be another case successfully solved in the blessed island.
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Upul / March 7, 2016
This shows what type of a character is this cheesy Minister. Most of the politicians in SL can talk and do talk big. The problem is that they cannot and will not obey or follow what they preach to others. These are the so called public agents appointed by people to look after them. The real truth is when in trouble they are the first to run away to safeguard themselves.
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srinath.gunaratne / March 7, 2016
Do not worry Champika, When the governments change, wheels of justice will grind you just the way you are trying to get political revenge from Rajapakse family!
If you have done this, You know the Buddhism you practice, that will take care of you, What goes around…!
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