CPC supervisor demanded bribe for not leaking info on faulty pump

Rasika Somarathna

An Area Supervisor attached to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) who solicited a bribe from filling station owner in exchange of withholding information regarding defaults in fuel pumping instruments, was apprehended by bribery sleuths.

The Director-Investigations for Bribery and Corruption Neville Guruge told the Daily News yesterday that the officer was arrested while accepting money at a filling station in Alawwa, acting on a tip off by its owner.

According to Guruge the officer had been in charge of all CPC filling stations in the Kegalle district where he had to send a monthly report to the corporation with regard to any defects in pumping machines and meters at filling stations. The officer taking advantage of his position had collected Rs. 5,000 monthly from the filling station owner with the promise of not reporting any faults to Authorities.

According to Guruge it is believed that he had engaged in the same practice with some other filling stations too under his purview.

The suspect produced before the Kegalle Additional Magistrate was remanded until September 25.

Bribery sleuths are investigating.