The Colombo High Court yesterday served indictments on four ex-senior Customs officials in connection with the largest ever recorded bribe nabbed by the Bribery Commission.
The Director General of Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed indictments against Assistant Customs Superintendent Upali Gunaratne Perera, Customs Superintendent Wasantha Wimalaweera, Customs Superintendent Upali Wickremasinghe and Customs Superintendent Sudeera Jinadasa for allegedly involved in accepting a bribe of Rs.125 million to release a consignment of spare parts worth Rs.1500 million, imported to be used by the SLTB, by evading duty. Each of them were ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.100,000 with two sureties of two million rupees by High Court Judge R. Gurusinghe.
The Bribery Commission filed indictments against the accused on 14 counts. The prosecution further alleged that the four accused had committed these offences on or around June 26,2015 under Section 11 of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Act No. 19 of 1994.
Counsel Subhashani Siriwardena appeared for the Bribery Commission.
Counsel Nevil Abeyratne PC with Nihal Gunasinghe appeared for the accused.