Bribery Com. takes four senior Customs officers to High Court for alleged Rs. 125m bribe

The complainant had lodged a complaint with the Bribery Commission. The Commission had then deployed a decoy to negotiate the bribe with the accused.

The Commission to Investigate Alle gations of Bribery or Corruption ( CIABOC) has filed indictments at the Colombo High Court against four senior Customs officials accused of taking a Rs.125 million bribe.

Fourteen indictments were filed on Friday against the four officials, who are accused of demanding and receiving the bribe from a vehicle spare parts businessman.

Indictments were filed against Assistant Superintendent of Customs M.D. Upali Gunaratne of K a d aw a t h a along with Superintendents of Customs H. W. Wimalaweera of Gampaha, U. S. Wickramasinghe of Athurugiriya and S.P. Jinadasa of Rajagiriya.

They were allegedly apprehended by detectives of the Bribery Commission who acted on a complaint lodged by the businessman G. Bandulasena.

According to the Bribery Commission, the accused, along with the now deceased Deputy Superintendent of Customs Jagath Gunathilake had come to inspect the complainant’s house and claimed that he needed to pay Rs.300 million for a stock of vehicle spare parts that the Customs had earlier released to the complainant following proper procedure.

They had then alle gedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 150 million.

Discussions regarding the payment of this bribe had taken place between June 26 and September 29 in 2015.

The complainant had subsequently lodged a complaint with the Bribery Commission. The Commission had then deployed a decoy to negotiate the bribe with the accused.

An agreement had been reached to pay the bribe at the business premises belonging to the complainant located in Panchikawatta, Maradana.

The late Deputy Superintendent of Customs Gunathilake had arrived at the location with the first and fourth accused and were arrested by Bribery Commission sleuths as they were in the process of receiving the bribe.

The other two accused, who were allegedly waiting on the roadside, were arrested later.

The prosecution brought forward 39 witnesses for its case.

Recorded phone conversations, video recordings and other electronic evidences are also due to be presented.