PC, home guard get four years RI for taking bribe

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced a Police Constable who was convicted of accepting a bribe, to four years rigorous imprisonment.

Colombo High Court Judge Sunil Rajapakse convicted Constable Gajanayake Nilamege Sunil Ranaweera of Nannapurawa, Bibile for demanding and accepting a gratification of Rs 30,000 on July 10, 2005.

According to the judgment Ranaweera had accepted the gratification from Chandana Pushpa Kumara not to take legal action against him for transporting timber without a valid permit. The Court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 and another 12 months RI in default. The Court ordered him to pay Rs 30,000 for the money he accepted as gratification.

In the same judgment the Court sentenced home guard Jayantha Wijesundara of Dambagalla, Monaragala to four years RI for aiding and abetting Ranaweera to accept the gratification. He was imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 and another 12 months RI in default.

The indictment filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption consisted of eight counts against the PC and the Home Guard.