In a shocking exposure, General Secretary of the SLFP, Dayasiri Jayasekara today revealed that none of the police vehicles has full insurance, revenue licence and vehicle emission test certificates and added if anyone had met with an accident involving a police vehicle, the compensation has to be paid by the police driver. 

“This is appalling indeed, but true. Some poor policemen pay compensation to accident victims during their entire service until retirement, as the vehicle involved in the accident has no third-party insurance,” Mr. Jayasekara said. 

Addressing the weekly news briefing at the party office yesterday, Mr. Jayasekara said not only for the police cars or jeeps but for the motorcycles the situation was the same. 

“Hundreds of high-speed motorcycles have been imported recently on the intervention of President Maithripala Sirisena at a cost of Rs. 3.5 million each. 

It is a big risk for motorists and other road users when policemen ride these motorcycles without necessary documents," he added. Mr. Jayasekara alleged that the government has deliberately delayed giving service promotions to 31,541 cops - both men and women - ignoring the recommendation of the Police Commission and the approval of the President. Among those who have been recommended for immediate promotions, 2069 PCs and 1,649 WPCs to the post of police sergeants, 5,483 sergeants and 277 women sergeants to the rank of sub inspectors, 2,344 SIs and 257 women SIs as IPs, 1,356 IPs and 105 WIPs as chief inspectors. “These policemen and women have served the Police Department for nearly two decades and awaiting their promotions, but the government has delayed these promotions for political reasons. The government is in a move to give these promotions as a bribe aimed at the forthcoming presidential polls,” MP Jayasekera charged and added the government must immediately give these promotions. 

The parliamentarian charged that the government has also delayed the payment of combined allowance to nearly 100,000 policemen despite the cabinet and President’s approval as the Minister of Law and Order. "Please don’t use these promotions and allowances for political advantage,” he requested and added there are hundreds of disabled policemen who are desperately awaiting the increased allowances. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)