The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed indictments against an Excise Officer of Thangalla Excise Office for accepting Rs. 5000/- from the complainant of this bribery case for abstaining from taking legal action against her husband.

The bribery incident took place in 2012 at Getamanna, Eldeniya, and the accused has solicited Rs. 5,000/- from the complaint as gratification for abstaining from taking legal action against her husband for possessing white beedi, and the complainant complained of it to this Commission. Accordingly, the Commission arranged a raid and arrested the suspect.

The Commission filed indictments against the suspect under 12 charges, and after a lengthy trial, High Court Judge Wikum KaluArachchi delivered the verdict on 22.01.2019 and convicted the accused of charges 1-7 and 9 and acquitted from charges 8, 10-12.

Considering written and oral submissions submitted by both parties, the accused appealed against the High Court judgement. On 23.10.2024, the Appellate Court Judge upheld the decision that the accused is guilty of charges from 1 to 6.

President’s Counsel Kapila Waidyaratne appeared for the accused-appellant, and Deputy Director General of the Commission Mrs. Ruvini Wickramasinghe, appeared for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.