Embilipitiya President’s College Principal released on Rs.1Mn bail

By T.Farook Thajudeen   

Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama yesterday enlarged on bail the Principal of President’s College, Embilipitiya, Premila Madurangani, who was remanded earlier on an allegation of accepting a bribe from a parent.   

The Magistrate, considering the submissions by her Counsel denying the allegation and citing Covid-19 infection dangerously spreading in the prison and that remand prisons in the country have become extremely unsafe, released the suspect on personal bail of rupees one million with two sureties.   

President’s Counsel M. M. Zuhair appearing with Jayantha Dias Nanayakkara, Asanka Perera and Rizwan Uvais for the Principal submitted that this was a case of an angry parent conspiring to fix the Principal for not admitting his child to the said college.   

He said the application of the complainant for admission was rejected because the minimum points required for admission to Grade 1 of the national school had not been secured.   

Submitting further Zuhair PC said the complainant parent is a Police Constable attached to a Police Station in the schools proximity.   

The prosecution was represented by SI C. Chandrasiri of the Bribery Commission. Case to be called on 30th March 2021   

The Principal was arrested consequent to complaint received to the hotline-1954 of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption from a resident of Embilipitiya New Town, the Investigation Officers of the Commission conducted a raid and arrested the Principal near a school playground on charges of receiving a bribe of Rs.150,000/- on 02.12.2020.   

According to the complainant the suspect has solicited Rs.150,000/- as a bribe to enroll the second child of the complainant to Grade 1 of the said school for the academic year of 2021. The arrest of the suspect took place when suspect was receiving the bribe.