School principal in bribery net

Sandasen MARASINGHE

COLOMBO: A bribery case has been filed before the Colombo High Court against a leading girls’ school principal in the Colombo district.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed a case against the principal allegedly accepting a gratification for admitting a student to grade six of the school.

According to the charges the principal has accepted Rs. 20,000 from H.B. Karunaratne, on February 13, 2006 to admit his child to Grade Six.

Karunaratne in his statement to the Bribery Commission stated that his daughter attended the primary school.

When his wife went to the College on January 16, 2006 with their daughter to admit her to the school, the principal demanded Rs. 50,000 or 10 desks and chairs as an inducement.

When his wife informed their difficulties, the principal demanded Rs. 25,000 and asked her to come on February 13.

Karunaratne said since they did not have money to give to the principal his daughter had to stay at home without a school for nearly three months.

They could not go to school on February 13 and a friend suggested lodge a complain with the Bribery Commission.

The principal told the Bribery Commission that she accepted a Rs. 3,000 admission fee. When she requested the father to make any contribution to buy desks and chairs to the school, he had given her Rs. 20,000.

She also said that she could not issue a receipt for the money she accepted since the teacher who functioned as the treasurer was absent that day.

A group of officers of the Bribery Commission led by Chief Inspector Liyanage conducted the raid.