Police should follow rules when receiving donations from public’

13 February 2013 04:27 am

Police Media Spokesman SSP Prishantha Jayakody commenting on police stations receiving donations from various business enterprises said there was a mechanism in place to accepting such donations from private enterprises.

“There are certain ethics related to receiving such donations.  The beneficiary police stations have to first check whether the willing donors or their organizations face any criminal proceedings. If the need be, the donors even have to furnish requested information to the Police Headquarters before they can make donations” he said.

The spokesman made these comments over the incident where the Dambulla Police was said to have received 75 steel chairs from a local businessman.

“I don’t know the details of this particular incident, but there is a laid-out procedure to accept donations from the public or business establishments” he said.

Meanwhile, UNP MP Sujeewa Senasinghe commenting on this incident said the practice of making donations in this fashion tantamount to bribing of police officers.

“People are increasingly losing their faith in law and order and the overall justice system. There is corruption right from the top. These sorts of offers are not donations, but bribes in the guise of donations. If such donors were caught involved in any wrongdoings, they could be released by the police in return of the favours they have done to them. It is stupid to think that any businessman would give donations to a police station without the hope of earning favours at a later time.” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)