Kolonnawa GS acquitted in bribery case

By T. Farook Thajudeen   
A Gramaseva Niladari attached to the Kolonnawa Divisional Secretariat Office was acquitted from a bribery case after being observed that the charges against the accused was not proven beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution.   

Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna acquitted the accused from the charges the Grama Niladari Loyal Jayantha Ratnayake, who was attached to the Kolonnawa Divisional Secretariat office considering the submission made by Senior Counsel Lal Kularatna who appeared with Attorney-at-law Thilini Collure for the defence during the trial and cross examined the witnesses and the complainant.   

The accused was charged by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption following a raid conducted in 2011 on a complaint made by the complainant Mohamed Lafeer to the Commission.   

It was alleged that the Grama Niladari Ratnayake had solicited and accepted Rs. 500 from the complainant Mohamed Lafeer to enter the complainants name for the householders list for year 2010.   

However during the trial it was observed that there were many contradictions and omission in the evidence of the witnesses.   
Hence the accused was acquitted from all charges by the Magistrate.