Three customs officers arrested by the Bribery Commission yesterday while accepting a bribe of Rs. 125 million have been remanded until October 30 by the Colombo Magistrate Courts.
This is the largest ever recorded bribe nabbed by the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption. Customs Superintendent Sujeewa Parakrama Jinadasa, Deputy Customs Superintendent Jagath Gunathilake and Assistant Customs Superintendent M.D.U.G. Perera were arrested while soliciting the bribe at a location in Colombo. It has been reported that the customs officers in question had informed a foreign company that a post audit had found that a payment of Rs 1,500 million was required for the release of a consignment of spare parts, to be used by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).
However, when representatives of the company had stated that they were not legally obliged to make such a payment, the customs officers had negotiated to waive off the payment if they agreed to pay a bribe of Rs 150 million. The representatives of the foreign company had then informed the Bribery Commission and following discussion the bribe was reduced to Rs 125 million. The customs officers were arrested while accepting the bribe from the company representatives at an agreed location in Colombo.
