Deputy Minister of Disaster Management Duleep Wijesekara figured in a drama on the Southern Expressway on Wednesday evening when his vehicle was stopped at the Kottawa exit point as his driver had been speeding. Police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said the Deputy Minister had asked what the fine was and had extended Rs. 1,500 and told the policemen to pay the fine as he was in a hurry to leave.

This had led to an argument with the policemen demanding the driver’s licence for them to issue a ticket for him to go and pay the fine. Finally, the Deputy Minister and his driver had taken off without surrendering the licence.

The Senior Superintendent said that they had now traced the driver and would file action against him after recording statements.

The Island learns that automatic speed detection cameras, installed on the expressway, had detected the Deputy Minister’s vehicle speeding at 165 km per hour through the Bandaragama area. This had led to the Kottawa exit point being alerted to nab the vehicle. He had been rushing back from Galle to attend his son’s birthday party at his residence in Malabe.

~ www.island.lk ~ By Ravi Ladduwahetty