By Hansi Nanayakkara
The Colombo High Court, yesterday (6), sentenced four former senior Customs officials to 35 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI), after they were found guilty of accepting a Rs 125 million bribe to release vehicle spare parts worth Rs 1,500 million.
High Court Judge Namal Balalle also ordered the suspects to pay a fine of Rs 125 million each.
It is the largest-ever recorded bribe nabbed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the officers were charged to have solicited a bribe of Rs 150 million and accepted Rs 125 million.
The Commission filed indictments against former Assistant Customs Superintendent Upali Gunaratne Perera, Customs Superintendent Wasantha Wimalaweera, Customs Superintendent Upali Senarath Wickremasinghe, and Customs Superintendent Sudeera Parakrama Jinadasa for soliciting and accepting the bribe to release a consignment of spare parts imported for use by the SLTB, by evading duty.
