Rejecting accusations leveled against him over the alleged assault of police officer on duty at the Southern Expressway, Deputy Minister Hemal Gunasekara today said that he doesn’t even remember the appearance of the police officer who issued him a ticket for speeding.

“I don’t even remember if he was black or white,” he told reporters in Colombo.

The Deputy Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade stated that on the day a no-confidence motion was brought against the government he had traveled on the expressway, from his Weligama home, at a speed of 140kmph and that the officer in question had issued him a speeding ticket at the Kottawa exit.

He alleged that the police officer had spoken to him in a disrespectful manner and had said “I don’t care who you are. Do whatever you can.” Gunasekara said at that moment he requested the policeman to behave in a disciplined manner.

The Deputy Minister claimed that he only came to know about the police officer’s car being torched when a certain media organization had asked him for a statement regarding the incident.

He rejected allegations which claim that he assaulted the police officer and set fire to the vehicle.

The police officer was assaulted at the Dodangoda Interchange of the Southern Expressway on May 30 while his car was completely gutted in the fire. Four special police teams are investigating the incident.

 The Deputy Minister stated that despite police requiring the Speaker’s approval to question a Member of Parliament, he had willingly given a statement to the police to aid their investigation.

Gunasekara further said that if his innocence is proven by the ongoing investigation, he would seek damages from the police officer and build a home for an innocent family with that money.