National People’s Force MP Shantha Padmakumara says that the allegations that he assaulted a police assistant attached to the Suriyakanda Police are false.
He says that while he was returning from a funeral, the police assistant in question came near his vehicle and attacked the vehicle from the driver’s seat and behaved violently.
The MP said that he had a personal grudge against him for mentioning his name in Parliament and that no assault took place. The MP described the entire incident as follows.
”Yesterday evening, I was returning from a funeral with my driver and two others when the incident happened at the Kalugala junction. This Susantha Hettiarachchi came, approached the vehicle, sat on his bike and banged on the driver’s door.
He said to take the bike. After lowering the windows, he said that the MP had a personal matter to settle. I asked what the personal matter was with me.
Why did he ask? Yesterday in Parliament, his name was mentioned because of a cannabis issue.
I said that I mentioned the name because you are involved in it.
As soon as he got off, our two brothers who were behind him also got off. But he did not see that there were two more people in the vehicle behind him at first.
When the other two got off, what did the man do? He left the bicycle there and took the helmet and ran away.”
The police assistant, who is in the hospital, alleges that he was attacked by a group including National People’s Power’s Ratnapura District Parliamentarian Shantha Padmakumara.
It is reported that a raid on a cannabis plantation conducted by the Suryakanda Police on the 16th has led to this incident. The cannabis plantation was being run on land belonging to the MP’s wife’s father, and the police assistant who was attacked was also involved in the raid.
The police assistant says that while he was returning home on his motorcycle after completing his duty, a group including the MP came in a vehicle, chased him, blocked his motorcycle and tried to attack him.