Controversy swirls over police failure in conducting immediate alcohol test

 

 In response to a query about the delay in the conduct of an immediate alcohol test on former Speaker Asoka Ranwala after his involvement in the road accident, police spokesperson F.U. Wootler said that there is some concern about the way the duty was discharged by the OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police.

Sri Lanka Police came under heavy criticism for failing to obtain a breathalyser test on former Speaker and NPP MP Asoka Ranwala immediately after his jeep was involved in an accident in Sapugaskanda on Thursday night.

Police arrested MP Ranwala yesterday afternoon, more than 12 hours after the accident, while he was receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.

The accident occurred on Thursday night when his jeep collided with a car in the Denimulla area of Sapugaskanda.

A 25-year-old woman, her six-month-old infant, and her 55-year-old mother, who were travelling in the car, sustained injuries and were hospitalised.

The Sapugaskanda Police have launched an investigation into the accident and taken both vehicles into custody. In addition to the jeep and the car, a motorcycle believed to be linked to the incident has been taken into police custody as part of the investigation. A resident who was at the scene of the accident claimed that the MP's vehicle collided with the car after crashing into a motorcycle.

Following the accident, the MP, two women, and the infant were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Mr Wootler said that officers from the Sapugaskanda Police Station went to the Kiribathgoda Hospital to obtain a statement from the MP. However, neither the statement nor the alcohol test was taken since he was hospitalised at that time.

The spokesman said at a media briefing yesterday that two people injured in the accident, including the former Speaker, were later admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, while the six-month-old baby is being treated at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.

He said that a medical report has been requested to determine whether the drivers were under the influence of alcohol, and that police would take action based on the findings.

A breathalyser test is a diagnostic device that measures how much alcohol is in the air a person breathes out. It can be used to estimate blood alcohol content (BAC), or how much alcohol is in the blood.

When asked about the accuracy of conducting an alcohol test several hours after the accident, the spokesman said that blood tests taken within the 24-hour period of an accident can determine whether there was alcohol in the body. He said further action would be taken accordingly.

The MP was arrested yesterday afternoon while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital on charges of dangerous driving and failing to prevent an accident.